Star Fox: Next Gen
by ZombieAxeHero
Summary: In the distant future, Marcus McCloud is a brash young fox, as well as the leader of a team of mercenaries dedicated to protecting the Lylat System. When old enemies begin to return, only they have the strength and courage to stop them. But a certain someone is starting to come between that, and Marcus is debating on whether or not she's trying to help him or get him killed.
1. Into the Asteroid Field

**_PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE BEGINNING THE STORY_**

_This is a story I've had finished for quite a long time now. I started writing it in Grade 9 and finished it at just about the end of the year. A few months later, I re-did it on the computer because the written copy...was something that a fifth grader would write. Even though the story is finished, I'm not going upload all of it at once. Here's the deal: for now, I'll upload three chapters per update to the story. Each update will be done sparingly since it'll take me a while to edit each chapter before releasing them. Since there are 30 chapters in total, the entire story will be up after the 10th update or so._

_Anyway, this story is really just what I think should have happened after Star Fox Command ended, and it kind of explains the backstory for those who aren't aware of it. I did create a few original characters and concepts, but otherwise everything you read about in this story belongs to their respective owners and I'm not claiming to own of them except those that I created myself._

_But enough of me going on like this. Here's the story. Hope you enjoy, and if you're going to review this story, please be nice. This IS my first fanfiction, after all. _

CHAPTER ONE

**Into the Asteroid Field**

**May 8****th****, 2035**

**500 km from Planet Corneria**

Aboard the gigantic starship called the _Great Fox_, there was the least amount of activity that the Star Fox team had ever experienced. Without an assigned mission in months, all three of the young men could do nothing but sit around, waiting to doze off.

Slippy Toad, the mechanic, wasn't working on any new projects and had already fixed or "improved" anything he could get his hands on. Falco Lombardi, the ace pilot, sat on top of his Arwing (a small, single-man space fighter that had twin laser cannons and was capable of deploying bombs), not even the least bit interested in the several machine guns, rocket launchers and grenades lying around him. (He was always dying to get into some kind of action, preferably when he knew something was going to get blown up). But most odd was the team's leader, Fox McCloud. For the first time in a very long time, he was sleeping.

But he couldn't enjoy it for two reasons:

a) The girl he loved, whose name was Krystal, had vanished from their home planet, Corneria, and he didn't have the slightest clue of her state or whereabouts.

b) At the moment, he was having a terrible nightmare.

**Dreaming...**

Fox was slowly sinking down into a sea of icy, red blood. He tried to move his feet and swim, run or anything to keep himself from drowning, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop himself from being dragged down by the scorched skeletal hands that bound him to his soon-to-be pit of death.

He looked up and could see Krystal, her blue and white fur waving in the violent wind, her blue eyes staring down into his green ones with a look of near disgust.

Getting his hand free, Fox reached up and tried to grab Krystal's hand, but she was floating just barely out of his reach. She seemed to be completely avoiding him.

"Krystal!" he cried out to her.

Krystal turned away from him. The hand covered his mouth again and dragged him, screaming, down into the lake.

"Why won't she look at me…."

Suddenly, Fox felt as though he was being shaken.

"Wake up, you moron!" Falco's voice said.

Fox's eyes snapped open.

**Awakening...**

"Another 'Krystal go bye-bye dream'?" Falco asked.

"Yeah," Fox sighed sadly, "I'm just so worried about her. This whole ordeal that I'm going through is my fault, anyway. I mean, what if she's dead? How do you think I could live with that?"

"Dude, you're really letting this go too far. Just…I dunno, be cool like me."

"Yeah, that's easy for you to say. You don't have a girl to worry about."

"Let's not pull at that string, Fox! I have nothing against girls!"

"Then how come you haven't had a girlfriend in your life? Heck, Slippy's got one, for crying out loud!...You're not…you-know-what, are you?"

"No, I'm not. And you're lucky you're not anyone else, or I would've knocked your block off for saying that."

Speaking of Slippy, right at that moment their plucky amphibian friend suddenly burst into the room, nearly knocking his red-and-white baseball cap off his head.

"You guys really gotta see this." he panted.

"What's wrong Slippy?" asked Fox.

"Follow me and I'll show ya!"

Okay, time out. Just to clarify everything, let's get something straight early. You may be surprised at what I'm about to tell you…then again, maybe not.

Every specimen of the dominant species that lives in the Lylat System (one of the two only other Solar Systems with life) is a type of anthropomorphic animal, meaning they're animals that behave like humans, wear clothing, have thumbs, can speak Earth tongues (usually English, Spanish, and Japanese), and can stand on two legs. This includes Fox, Slippy, Falco and Krystal. Fox was a fox, Falco was a falcon, Slippy was a toad and Krystal was a vixen.

Ok, now that that's over, back to the story.

The three boys entered the bridge, where the ship's robotic auto-pilot, R.O.B. 64 was waiting for them.

"What's up, ROB?" asked Falco.

"Communication link with General Hare established. Receiving transmission." the robot replied in his monotone voice.

Peppy Hare (a hare, of course!) had once been a member of Star Fox (both the original and the present one), but was later appointed as general of the Cornerian Army. Nowadays he was the one who assigned missions to the team. He had also been great friends with Fox's father, the late James McCloud.

ROB flipped a switch on the communicator, and Peppy's face appeared on the screen.

"Everything right as rain up there?" he asked.

Fox, Falco and Slippy groaned and rolled their eyes.

"There he goes again." Falco muttered.

Peppy always liked to check on what went on up there because he always had a sickening feeling that Falco and Slippy, being as irresponsible and clumsy as they were, might accidentally break something or cause it to self-destruct.

"Peppy, you don't need to ask us that every single time you see us." Fox said, crossing his arms. "We're grown men, not toddlers."

"Well, you can never be too careful, can you?"

"Whatever, gramps" Falco retorted. "Now, what did you call us for?"

"We've got a mission for you."

Falco slammed his fists together.

"It's about time!"

Putting Falco's enthusiasm aside, Peppy continued to speak.

"You all remember that starship that we've been tracking for a month now, I presume."

"You mean that one that attacked the settlement on Papetoon?" Fox asked.

"And is as big as the _Great Fox_…if not bigger?" Slippy put in.

"That's the one. We've located its current position. It's about ten kilometers east of Katina and twenty kilometers west of Aquas. The captain seems to have planned its path in a zigzag pattern, meaning that it's heading for Corneria next. We need you to fly aboard the ship, reach the bridge and place the captain under arrest. You need to get this done right away, or Corneria may be in ruins next."

"And if they don't…..how should I put this…come quietly?" Falco asked.

"Hey, you're the marksman. Try using your head!" Peppy chuckled.

He got back on topic.

"If they don't come quietly, you have authority to use force."

"Understood" Fox said as he turned to Falco and Slippy. "OK, boys. Let's rock and roll!"

"Whoa, hold on there!" Peppy spoke up. "You're all aware that the ship flees at the slightest hint of our presence, aren't you? They've got a massive fleet up there, too. If you're going to even THINK about attacking the ship, I seriously recommend that only one of you goes."

Fox sighed.

"I'm the leader here. I'll go."

"Alright. Good luck, Fox. Peppy out."

The screen shut off. Falco turned to Fox with a bewildered look on his face.

"Great. That's just great. How in the hell are you supposed to get up there without any of those bogies spotting you?"

Fox froze in his tracks. Once again he had let his ego get the better of him.

"I don't know. I'm making this up as I go along."

Slippy smirked.

"Maybe you don't have to."

**Later...**

The three stood in the hangar bay, where their Arwings (The _Arwing II_, the _Sky Claw_ and the _Bullfrog_, though all Star Fox aircraft was classified as an Arwing), the _Landmaster_ tank and the _Blue Marine_ submarine were suspended.

Slippy had just placed a strange patch on Fox's ship.

"That's a Camo Patch. If you push this button here," Slippy handed Fox a trigger. "You and your ship will turn invisible."

"Another genius idea from the mind of Slippy Toad." Fox said as he hopped into the cockpit and shut the hatch door.

"But be careful!" Slippy warned. "It's got a time limit and it's good for one use only! Don't use it until you see the starship!"

"Gotcha!" Fox shouted through the glass.

"Good luck, buddy." Falco said.

Fox gave them a thumbs-up and ignited the engine.

"Ignition check. Fuel line green. Radar up and running. All systems go."

ROB's voice crackled on the communicator.

"Ship lock released."

The Arwing shot off into the depths of Outer Space.

**10 minutes later**

As Fox casually flew through space, he began to think more deeply about what might have happened to Krystal. He knew he would just make it worse by thinking about it, but right now, he didn't care.

6 months ago, he had told her that he couldn't be with her. When she asked why, he didn't answer. He just said good-bye and walked away from her. About a month later, they ran into each other on Katina, but that ordeal was so unnerving that Fox had had nightmares about it for a week. Right after the close encounter, he never saw her again.

There was no denying it. Krystal had run away from him because of what he had said to her. It was HIS fault!

"Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!" he angrily growled.

Frustrated with himself, he slammed his head against the metal frame of his ship. It hurt badly.

"Ouch..." he moaned.

Fox rubbed his forehead. He couldn't help but think that he deserved to punish himself for what he had done. When he looked up again, a gigantic asteroid was hurtling right at him!

"SON OF A..!"

Fox pulled up on the steering console and swerved away from the space rock just as Falco's voice crackled on his communicator.

"Damn it, Fox! Get your head outta the clouds and watch where you're going! That asteroid could've mauled you!"

"Blah, blah, blah. Give it a rest, will you, feather-head?" Fox thought.

Fox had been so wrapped up in his thoughts of Krystal that he hadn't noticed until now that he had gone off-course. He could still get to Katina and commence his assault on the starship if he didn't stop, but to do it he'd have to go through the Meteo asteroid field. Fox had gone through Meteo several times before in his career, but at the moment it seemed worse than ever.

Fox pulled up and just barely managed to avoid being pelted by several small meteors. A few more meteors came tumbling right at him. Carefully placing his thumb on the button on the steering console, he fired the Arwing's plasma cannons. These lasers were strong enough to break metal at full force, so a few asteroids wouldn't be a problem. The lasers hit their intended target and blew them to pieces.

"Here comes a big one! Watch your tail, Fox!" Slippy shouted.

Sure enough, a space rock bigger than two Arwings put together was slowly hurtling at him. And this one seemed indestructible! Pulling back on the steering console, Fox raised his ship and flew over the rock. It just barely skinned the Arwing's left wing.

Suddenly, a laser fired at him from behind.

"Watch out, Fox! You're being tailed!" Falco hollered.

Fox looked back. A small fighter that clearly wasn't an Arwing or a military ship was shooting at him.

"Uh oh! Not good!" Fox said aloud.

He floored the boost pedal and shot ahead at top speed. The bogey still kept on his tail the whole time. He slammed the brake pedal. His ship came to a complete stop and the bogey shot ahead, but it quickly began to turn around.

"ROB, send me a smart bomb, will ya?" Fox said into the comm.

ROB's emotionless voice crackled. "Location confirmed. Sending supplies."

A small red sphere with a white B painted on it landed in the secondary artillery cannon.

"Alright! BOMB'S AWAY!"

Fox pushed a red button above his head and the bomb soared at the bogey at sonic speed. It collided and exploded, taking the enemy with it.

"Direct hit!"

"You're coming up on the starship now!" Slippy said. "Get the..."

KRRZZZZZZT!

Slippy's voice started breaking up and not only did the comm short-circuit, but the radar went out as well.

"Falco? Slippy? ANYONE?" shouted Fox. "Dammit. They must have some kind of radar-jammer up there."

He knew what Slippy had tried to say, however. He grabbed the trigger and as soon as he caught sight of the starship (which, as Slippy had stated before, was as big as the _Great Fox_, the only difference being that it was much shadier), he pushed the button. In an instant, both he and his ship turned transparent.

Little did he know that the ship's captain had already seen him. Her normal instinct would have been to put the ship in light-speed and get out of there, but not this time. This time, she wasn't going to flee. She'd let him come right to her.

"Right on time." she whispered coldly.


	2. Kursed

CHAPTER TWO

**Kursed**

**Mysterious Starship, Hangar Bay**

Fox managed to glide past the fighters surrounding the terrorist ship without being located. (Which was really much easier said than done) Carefully, he landed in the hangar bay. About 200 robot guards marched around the room toting laser rifles. They appeared dangerous, but they didn't look very well made.

Fox pondered about how he'd ambush them without causing too much of a disturbance, but suddenly, the Arwing flickered and reappeared. The Camo Patch had reached the time limit. He had blown his cover. All the guards surrounded the ship and trained their guns on it.

"Oh, for the love of…" Fox grumbled.

"You have entered a restricted air space. Walk identification, power down your vehicle and step out with your hands up." the head guard said with a more stern tone than Fox thought robots had.

Fox carefully turned off the Arwing. Reaching into the back of his seat, Fox pulled out an assault rifle and his laser blaster. Loading up the assault rifle, he holstered the blaster and laid his hand on the ejector seat button.

"Perhaps you did not hear me clearly." the guard barked. "Step out of the vehicle or we will kill you!"

"I heard you, alright!" Fox shouted.

He pushed the button. The cockpit shot open and Fox rocketed 100 feet into the air. He fired the rifle at the guards and shot all of them except the head guard, who he landed right in front of.

"The name's Fox McCloud!"

He roundhouse-kicked the guard and separated its torso from its lower body.

"Remember it in hell!"

More guards appeared. Taking the gun in both hands, Fox sprinted at the cyborgs and fired off his gun like a madman. And whether you believe it or not, he was actually having fun! The guards on Fox's left held up their guns to fire at the intruder, but he slid on the ground with his fist outstretched and knocked them off their feet. They clattered to the ground and fell apart piece by piece.

Several more made an attempt at dog-piling him. Fox raised up the rifle and blasted them all in mid-air. One came out with a buzz-saw. It took several big swings, all of which Fox either blocked with the rifle or ducked underneath. Fox brought up his foot, caught the robot between the legs and flipped it over his shoulder.

He sprinted forward again, thrust the rifle next to him and swung it like a sword, all the while holding down the trigger. The massive rain of lead hit all the robots in his path.

The next time Fox pulled the trigger on the gun, the barrel gave a loud click. It needed to be reloaded after about five minutes of him firing it off nonstop. The problem was that he had run out of clips for it. Frustrated, he threw the now useless gun aside and pulled out his blaster. He started firing off the medium power gun at the robot guards. The shots disarmed and fried the circuits off the robots as the shots were composed of plasma, though they weren't as powerful as the ones his Arwing fired.

Seeing an empty elevator shaft up ahead as he ran up a metallic staircase, Fox didn't hesitate. He took a flying leap into the shaft. He fell to a lower opening and managed to get a firm toehold on the opening's ledge, then jump through the doorway just as the elevator came crashing down behind him.

He breathed a sigh of relief, the turned to find himself looking down the barrel of an AK-47. About fifty more guards were aiming their weapons at him.

"Drop your weapon or we will use deadly force." one said.

"Ain't that a huge span of options." muttered Fox.

Fox dropped his gun.

"Get your hands up! NOW!" barked another guard.

Slowly, Fox reached behind him and pulled out a short metal stick from his emergency backpack. It was Krystal's magical staff. When she disappeared, she had left the staff behind, which could shoot fire, cause small earthquakes and could double as a jetpack of sorts, not to mention it was a good defensive item. Fox had used this weapon once before. In fact, he had been the one to give the staff all of its fantastic abilities in the first place.

He whipped the staff out and extended it so suddenly that the robots had absolutely no time to react. Even more quickly, he slammed it into the ground. The entire ship quaked and the robots in front of Fox fell apart. Then, aiming the staff forward like a gun, Fox sprinted down the hall, shooting off the Fire Blaster at any guard that he caught sight of.

He stopped for a moment and pointed the staff forward. Water vapor erupted from the staff's back end and shot Fox forward like a rocket. He shot up another elevator staff, went all the way to the top floor and landed in front of another gang of cyborgs. Swinging the staff multiple times, Fox bowled over even more robots, and then he backed up against a particularly regal, yet shady, door.

"Come on, you big piles of tin! Bring it on! I'll take you all on at once!" Fox shouted.

He was completely unaware that the door behind him had opened and the ship's captain was coming up behind him. He felt so alive! He was ready for anything!

…except the syringe that suddenly sank into his neck.

The liquid in the dart flowed into his blood stream. His whole body went numb. He suddenly felt as weak as a baby kitten. He fell flat on his face and dropped the staff. He slipped into unconsciousness just as the ship's captain pulled the dart out.

"You just never stop being so stubborn, do you?" she growled.

**20 minutes later**

Fox's hands started twitching as he struggled to open his eyes.

"Mistress, he is regaining consciousness." a monotone voice said.

"Keep him restrained. Don't let him out of your sight. I've got something…special in mind for this one" a very familiar feminine voice ordered.

Fox listened carefully to the conversation and his eyes flew open. He couldn't see anything.

There was a burlap sack over his head and his hands and feet were handcuffed behind him. The syringe liquid was out of his system, but he still felt extremely lousy.

Suddenly, the burlap sack was swept off his head.

He hazily looked around. From what he could see, he was in the command bridge. He could see his staff hung on the wall a few feet behind him, along with several laser blasters. Shaking his head a little, his vision returned to normal.

He looked forward and saw a blue and white furred vixen in a black leather outfit. Her tail had two black rings around it.

Fox couldn't believe who he was looking at.

"Krystal? Is that you?"

The woman turned.

It was Krystal, but she looked significantly different from when Fox last saw her. Her hair was longer than usual and was a dark violet color. Some of it hung down in front of her left eye and her outfit was a little on the…revealing side.

She was silent for a moment or two, and then she spoke in an expressionless voice that Fox didn't know.

"Leave us." Krystal said to the guard. "Unbind him first."

The robot hesitated. "But, Mistress….didn't you just say…"

Krystal looked angrily at the robot.

"I know what I said! Listen to what I'm saying now!" she half-shouted.

The robot pulled Fox's cuffs off and quickly left the room. Fox stood up and stared at Krystal, who crossed her arms.

"It's been a while, Fox McCloud." she said, as though she weren't even slightly happy to see him. "You look well."

Fox stepped toward her.

"I can't believe it…you're still alive!"

Krystal grunted in response.

Fox was about to take her hand, but she pulled it back and roundhouse kicked his face. Fox flew backward a little bit and looked up at her in shock.

"Don't touch me….or I'll tear your arms off!" she warned. Her calm manner had dropped.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Fox asked, wiping the blood away from his mouth.

"The time for excuses is past, Fox." Krystal said angrily.

"Look, can you just tell me where the captain is so we can get out of here?"

"'We'? I'm not going anywhere with you! And if you want to find the captain, guess what: YOU'RE LOOKING AT HER!"

Fox was flabbergasted. The Krystal he knew wouldn't hurt a fly, but now she seemed as vicious as a carnivorous dinosaur!

Krystal smirked. "What's the matter? You're surprised?"

"But...why?"

He wasn't prepared for her to make a sudden mood swing.

"WHY?" she screamed at him. "You're the one that tossed me aside like yesterday's trash 6 months ago and you're still asking why? I'm the one who should be asking that, not you!"

Fox realized that she was talking about how he left her and didn't want her to be on Star Fox anymore. He had done that to keep her safe, but it looked like she had taken it the wrong way.

"I loved you, and you left me. Did I mean nothing to you? Was I not good enough? Was there someone else? There are only so many questions I can ask and you'll just give the same damn response every time: absolute silence!"

"Bu….y-you don't understand! I..." Fox stammered.

"I understand, alright! Because of what you've done to me, Corneria is next on the destruction list. Get in my way and you'll be the first one to die!" Krystal said.

"That's enough!" Fox said. "I didn't do this to you, Krystal! You did this to yourself! Just stop and think for a second! Don't you remember what you and I have been through together? If you kill me, all of that will become a horrible burden! Do you want all of our memories of each other to mean nothing at all?"

Krystal stopped. She thought for a moment. He had a point.

She thought back to the first day she met him, on the planet Sauria. She had been trapped inside a gigantic crystal that was slowly killing her from the inside, but Fox brought beings called the Krazoa Spirits to the altar where her near lifeless body floated. When the prison shattered, she nearly fell to her death. With Fox's intervention, she had survived.

He had saved her life that day. He was her personal hero for that.

A tear welled up in her eye. She seemed willing to forgive him.

But suddenly she thought about how he left her without telling her why, and she became angry all over again. For that, he was her personal villain, too, and she couldn't forgive him for that.

Krystal's thoughts returned to her. Pulling a crystalline blade from behind her, she pointed it at Fox. He looked even more shocked than before.

"Too bad. My mind is set and you'll never change it. I've finally realized something…when the chips are down, I can't count on anyone, ESPECIALLY you! Now...I'm going to kill you!"

But did she really want to? Fox, Falco, Slippy and Peppy had taken her in when she had nothing left and when no one else would give her a home.

But she had already said she would, and there was no taking back what Fox had done. She meant it.

A tear fell from Fox's eye. He could literally feel his heart breaking.

"Krystal…I don't know who you are anymore…I'm so sorry."

Krystal clutched the sword in both hands.

"I'm not." she growled.

She leaped at Fox with the sword raised over her head. Fox dove out of the way, back-flipped to the wall and grabbed the staff.

"You're going to use my own weapon against me? Very well." Krystal said. "You won't fare much better with it anyway."

She ran at Fox again and swung the blade. Fox dodged the attack and the sword sliced open a few electrical wires.

Fox didn't want to hurt her. Even if she hated him now, he knew the real Krystal was someone in that body. He just needed to bring her back to life.

This time when Krystal swung her sword, Fox blocked it with the staff. Over and over, she tried to make a huge cut on his body, and over and over she couldn't break his defenses, but Fox didn't dare to try and strike her. Eventually, Fox tripped over his own feet and fell on his back. Krystal took that as an opportunity to run up and try to stab him. Fox shot his foot up, caught her in the stomach and flipped her over him and onto her back. They both leaped to their feet.

Their weapons locked.

"Krystal, I know the real you. You're kind, caring, and you never hurt someone unless you have a reason." Fox said to her, resisting her push. "You've gone down the wrong path, but I know you can turn back somehow!"

"You think a little smooth talking is going to get you out of trouble? GET SERIOUS, BUSTER! I THINK YOU'RE GOOD AT THAT!" Krystal shot back.

Fox pushed Krystal away and thrust the staff at her. She swiftly avoided all off his attacks and swung her weapon. Her attacks were blocked. Fox sidestepped away from her, seized a blaster off the wall and set it to "Stun". One shot would temporarily paralyze her. Temporarily was all he needed.

He didn't fire quickly enough. Krystal saw the weapon, rushed forward and used an athletic back-flip to kick the gun out of Fox's hand and nail his chin. He flew backward again.

Fox got back up and the weapons locked again. Krystal had the upper hand and began pushing him backward. Fox was inches away from falling off onto another platform ten feet below. He regained some of his strength and resisted.

He couldn't believe what she was doing. Was this really happening or was it just a nightmare? He wished it was the latter, but he couldn't deny that Krystal really was trying to kill him.

"Please stop!" he begged her. "Krystal, you don't wanna do this!"

Krystal stopped pushing and just stood there panting for a second. Fox lowered his weapon.

Suddenly, Krystal's fiery glare fixed on him again.

"MAYBE I DO!" she yelled.

She screamed and pushed Fox off the platform. The staff went flying away from him as he tumbled to the platform below. He cracked his spine on the metal surface. He groaned. His entire body ached. From the way he felt right now, he wished he could just lie there and never get up again, but he had no time to rest. Krystal jumped down on top of him and tried to bring the blade to his throat. Fox grabbed her arms and resisted. For a few minutes, they both struggled to gain the upper hand. Neither really seemed to be winning the fight that was breaking both of their hearts.

Finally, Fox let out a loud shout, flipped Krystal onto her back, threw the sword away and pinned her arms down. She squirmed to get loose. If there was one place she didn't want to be, it was in his grasp.

"Let go of me!" she screamed.

"Krystal..."

"I HATE YOU!"

"LISTEN TO ME!"

That sudden shout shut Krystal up. Fox never shouted even when he wanted everyone to pay attention. She stopped struggling and stared into his eyes.

"Why?" she asked, about ready to cry. "Why did you leave me when you knew we were perfect for each other?"

"I didn't want you to get hurt because of me." Fox calmly said. "I wanted to keep you safe."

Krystal's eyes went wide.

"You…wanted to protect me?"

"Yes. If my enemies ever found out about my love for you….if you got hurt because of me, I could never forgive myself. And I know that I didn't show any courage near you, but I will now….and I admit that I should have told you before."

More tears welled up in Krystal's eyes. She felt like such an idiot for not understanding him.

Fox let go of her wrists and sighed. The fiery gaze was still there.

"If you wanna kill me now, go ahead." he said. "I've got nothing left, either."

She sat up, slowly reached over and touched his face. The glare was gone. She smiled.

"I…" she started, but stopped when she heard a loud crack.

Both she and Fox looked back and gasped. One of the windows had a huge crack in it from one of the electrical cables that Krystal had accidentally severed. Fox quickly reached for Krystal's hand.

He wasn't fast enough.

The window shattered and the suction from the hostile atmosphere of space pulled them off the floor. Fox grabbed the staff and jammed it between 2 walls to keep him from being pulled out of the ship. Krystal grabbed an emergency bar, which was dangerously close to the window.

A red light bathed the room.

"WARNING!" blared a computerized voice. "Hull breach. Deactivating main power."

The ship began to dip down, and Krystal and Fox found themselves dangling from the ceiling. Outer Space now looked like a cavernous mouth below them that would swallow them up and they'd never see or hear from anyone ever again.

Krystal was hanging just out of Fox's reach. He stretched his arm toward her.

"Give me your hand!" he shouted.

He didn't care if she loved him or not. He wasn't going to let her die. Not like this. She stretched out her arm. Her knight in shining armor was there for her again. They could almost touch each other's fingertips.

Suddenly, the bar Krystal was clinging to gave way and she was sucked out into space, screaming.

"NO!" screamed Fox.

Not thinking about the possible outcome, Fox sheathed the staff and dove out of the ship. He pressed a button on his wrist communicator. A remote control for his Arwing. The starship exploded behind him, but as he dove down through the hostile air, Fox only focused on getting to Krystal.

As soon as he was close enough, he wasted no time; he clasped his arms around her. The Arwing swooped underneath them. They landed inside the cockpit and immediately shut the door. Krystal took in a few deep breathes, as did Fox, and then she looked fearfully into her savior's face. She hugged him against her body and didn't dare to let go as tears began streaming from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry." she sobbed. "Everything that's happened…..it's my fault."

"It's okay. There's no need for you to be hurt anymore." Fox whispered back.

"Everyone gave me the name Kursed after I attacked Papetoon. They said that what I did was the devil's work….they're right. I'm a curse on everyone."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am. I nearly killed thousands of people just because I was mad at you. And now you hate me because….I'M A HEARTLESS MONSTER! I DESERVE TO DIE!"

Fox touched Krystal's face. She stopped crying.

"Please don't cry, Krystal. I don't hate you. I never have. I still want to be with you. I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all. If you can forgive me, I can forgive you. No matter what anyone says about you…"

He slowly smiled. His eyes shone with a light that made Krystal feel safe in his arms.

"..I'm never going to shut you out again."

Krystal slowly took Fox's hand.

"I…I've always felt like I've been asleep for a long time. But now that you're here with me…I'm awake again."

She nuzzled Fox's chest.

"Take me back to Corneria…where we both belong."

Fox brought Krystal's head up. Their gazes locked. A loving smile stretched across Fox's face. He slowly leaned his head down, closed his eyes, and kissed her. Before this, he would have been too scared to even talk to her straight. Now his fear of messing up was gone for good.

Fox pulled back. Krystal smiled even more and kissed him back. It lasted for a few minutes before they finally came to their senses.

"Let's go home." Krystal whispered.

Fox ignited the engine and they slowly rode off back to the _Great Fox_. Fox made sure he took the smooth route on the way back.

Krystal eventually fell asleep on his lap. He stroked her soft, furry head. Now that she was with him again, his nightmares could finally end.

He could finally live the way he wanted to live.

**Upon returning...**

Fox locked his Arwing in the hangar bay. Krystal was still asleep, so he cradled her in his arms and carried her to the bridge. He opened the door. Falco and Slippy immediately rushed to him.

"Fox! You're OK!" Slippy cheered.

Slippy's sudden cheer woke up Krystal. Fox stood her on the floor.

"Huh? Wha…oh, we're back." she said.

"Krystal? Is that you?" Falco said.

Slippy immediately rushed over to Krystal and hugged her so tightly that he started to cut off her air supply.

"Oh, man, we missed you so much!" Slippy said. "Where the hell did you go?"

"Nice…urg...to see you, too...Slip...gack…can you let go please? You're choking me."

Slippy let her go. Krystal doubled over, gasping for breath.

"We certainly weren't expecting to see you again." Falco grunted.

Krystal smiled at him.

"C'mon, Falco. Give your best friend's girl a hug." she said.

Falco smirked and hugged Krystal.

"Nice to see ya, Krystal. Not gonna go running off again, are ya?"

"No, Falco. This time I'm back for good."

"…nice threads."

"Umm…thanks?"

"ROB, set course for home." Fox said.

"Affirmative."

**Later...**

"No, seriously! What happened up there? I just gotta know!" Falco said.

"Look, I already told you, I don't wanna talk about it, and neither does Krystal! Can we just leave it at that?" Fox retorted.

They were still about 425 km from Corneria. Krystal had gone to the lavatory to change her clothes. Slippy had already dozed off in a chair on the bridge, while Falco kept bugging Fox about what had happened.

"Alright. You don't wanna tell your best friend? Fine. See if I care." Falco said as he started pouting.

"….You really don't care, do you?

"Not at all."

Fox rolled his eyes. Typical Falco. His motto was "Always look out for Number One.", Number One being yourself.

"I'm gonna go check on Krystal. You better get some shut-eye." Fox said as he walked toward the lavatory door.

"Whatever. 'Night, boyfriend."

Falco chuckled as he walked off. Fox sighed in an annoyed tone.

"Sometimes that guy is such a pinhead." he muttered.

He was just about to knock on the door when he heard Krystal's voice from inside. Slowly, he opened the door just a crack and looked inside. Krystal was standing in front of a mirror, grasping her long hair behind her.

"You've caused me so much pain…you made me hurt all those people…you took me away from Fox…now, no more." she said at her reflection

"What the…who's she talking to?" Fox thought in confusion.

She pulled a knife out from in front of her. Fox got a look of panic on his face. Why did she have a knife? Was she going to kill herself…even after he forgave her?

She brought the knife up near her neck.

"Stay away from me. If you ever come back…I'll kill you."

With that, she cut her hair to shoulder length. The length most recognized her with.

"She's just cutting her hair? I don't get it. What's the big deal?" Fox thought.

Krystal turned on the sink and let the water run through her hair. After a few minutes, the violet dye washed out and her hair returned to its normal blue color. A loud rushing noise rang through Fox's ears for a few seconds, and then stopped. Krystal looked at herself in mirror and smiled.

"She's gone…thank goodness. I guess I'm really me again now." she sighed with content.

He looked at Krystal again. She looked completely normal now, save for her revealing outfit. He could see that she probably didn't want to be disturbed at the moment, but he felt as though she was lonely, and the sight of him was the one thing that would comfort her.

Fox took in a deep breath and knocked on the door. Krystal yelped and turned around, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was just her friend.

"Fox, please don't sneak up on me like that." she said. "You scared me half to death!"

"Sounds like you were just trying to bring something to death right now." Fox replied.

Krystal got a nervous look on her face. "Um…yeah."

Fox walked into the room and took another look at her outfit.

"You look like you again…except for the suit."

"Err….I…uh….."

"How did you change so much, anyway? It was almost like you were taken over by a demon or something."

"Fox."

"Yes?

"…I was."

"You were what?"

"I was taken over by a demon."

Fox shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I…I don't understand."

"A few months ago, after you saw me last, a woman started speaking to me in my head. Her name was Kursed. She offered to grant me the power to have my revenge on the ones that wronged me. In return, all I had to do was allow her to live inside me."

"And you let her?"

"Yes. I had no one else to turn to. Not Falco, not Slippy…not even you. She gave me the power she promised, but the whole time it felt like she had been born from my hate to begin with. It felt like she had been leeching off me ever since I was born…in fact, I think she WAS me!"

Krystal sat as tears began to form in her eyes.

"I let her take me, so everything that happened was my fault. Having her inside of me was literally a living hell. It burned…it made me burn for the innocence that I lost so long ago...but I might never get it back."

Fox knelt down and laid a hand on Krystal's shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's all over now. Now you have someone to turn to other than Kursed…and he's standing right here with you."

Krystal threw her arms around Fox and kissed his cheek. She felt better now that Fox was there with her.

"Fox…there's something I've wanted to say to you for a long time."

"Oh, boy. Here it comes." Fox thought.

"Fox…I…I…" Krystal stammered.

Fox placed his hand on her cheek.

"Here. We'll say it together."

Krystal smiled, and they both said the words that knit their souls into one.

"I love you."


	3. A Step Further

CHAPTER THREE

**A Step Further**

**May 28****th****, 2035 **

**Downtown Corneria**

After the incident that occurred a few weeks earlier, Fox and Krystal started dating again, and they couldn't have been any happier about it. Fox no longer stuttered when he spoke to Krystal unless she brought up something that really embarrassed him. Krystal still had a fringe of her hair hanging down over her eye (she thought it made her stand out, and she was right). Better still, no one ever found out about the incident, as Fox and Krystal had sworn an oath that they would never speak a word of it to anyone ("Live our lives and let it die." they both had said).

Fox had been considering asking Krystal something very meaningful for a long time, and now he was sure of it. If all went according to how he was planning it, this particular evening would by one of the ultimate highlights of Fox's life. They, Falco, Slippy, Slippy's fiancée Amanda Lily, and Peppy's daughter Lucy were headed down to a bar downtown. When they left, Fox would take Krystal to the lake near his house (technically THEIR house because Krystal had moved in with him) and ask Krystal a question that would change their lives forever.

The group stopped walking in front of a large building. They had arrived.

"OK, guys." said Fox. "This place is supposed to be kinda rough, so… don't be surprised if one of us gets smoked in the face."

"Aw, c'mon, Fox!" said Slippy. "Just live a little, will ya?"

"I'm just saying. Take it easy in here, OK?"

Fox clutched the door's handlebar in one hand and pulled the door open.

The room was about twice as crazy as he thought. Almost everyone seemed to be break-dancing to the loud techno music and the lights flashing inside were enough to give someone a seizure if they stared too long.

"Son of a gun." Amanda said with her hands on her hips.

"This is gonna be one helluva night." Falco muttered.

"Hey, Fox!" called out a voice. "You made it!"

Fox looked at the top of the stairwell and saw a familiar face.

"Bill!" he shouted as a wide grin spread across his face.

Bill Grey, (a tall, muscular bulldog) had been Fox's classmate and good friend when they were in the Cornerian Flight Academy. While Fox dropped out to form the new Star Fox team, Bill became the Commander of the Husky and Bulldog units in the Cornerian Academy.

Bill slid down the banister and gave Fox a high-five.

"Man, I haven't seen you in months! How've you been, buddy?" he asked.

"Krystal and I just got back together and…"

Fox made sure that the others weren't listening. Krystal and Lucy were now talking amongst themselves. Falco dozed off in a corner while Slippy and Amanda ordered drinks.

Fox turned back to Bill. "I'm gonna do it tonight."

Bill covered his mouth and stifled laughter.

"You mean you're gonna…" (Here he made a thrusting motion with his arm)

"Wha…no! I meant the OTHER thing!"

"Oh, you're gonna pop the question. My mistake."

"Yeesh! Talk about missing the nail's head by a mile, pervert!"

"But hey, way to go! I'm proud of ya, dog!"

He whispered in Fox's ear.

"You wouldn't mind introducing me to Lucy, would ya?"

"You sure Peppy wouldn't have a chauffeur go with you everywhere? It's you, after all." Fox joked in response.

Speaking of Lucy, right at that moment, she spotted Bill.

"Hey, Krystal. Who's that?" she asked.

"Eh?" Krystal looked over, stifled a laugh and then turned back to Lucy. "That's Bill Grey. Commander of the Husky and Bulldog units in the Army. He's Fox's friend."

Lucy couldn't help but stare at Bill. Just a few seconds and already she had become smitten with him.

"Is he…nice?" she asked.

"I guess so. I don't really know a lot about him, but Fox really likes him, so he must be."

Suddenly, Bill looked from the corner of his eye and saw Lucy staring at him. She panicked and looked away.

"Oh, no! He saw me!"

"Come now. I'm sure it's perfectly…"

"Don't look at him! It'll only draw his attention!"

"Hey, are you nervo…"

"Don't look at me, either!"

"Alright, alright. Jeez!

"Oh, God, I just hope he doesn't…"

Lucy turned to look again. Bill was standing right in front of her, smiling at her.

"Uh oh!" she whimpered.

"You're Lucy Hare, right?" Bill asked.

"Um…yeah."

Bill held out his hand.

"I'm Bill Grey. I couldn't help but notice that you were staring at me."

Lucy nervously shook his hand.

"Uh…you kind of caught my eye for a second…umm…I didn't creep you out, did I?"

"Of course not. You don't need to be so jittery. I'm cool with it. And let me say one thing; you're pretty attractive yourself."

Lucy blushed. Krystal giggled.

"I am?"

"Sure!"

Lucy slowly smiled. Krystal steered clear of them so she wouldn't interrupt their impending conversation.

"Go get 'em, Lucy." she thought, smirking.

On the other side of the room, Falco was snoring. He didn't really have anything to do besides get some rest. He normally stayed up really late, even when he wasn't partying or palling around with Fox, Slippy, or Bill.

His eyes snapped open when he heard a feminine voice say his name coyly.

"Hi, Falco!"

Falco's stomach jolted when he saw who it was. It was Katherine Monroe (known better as simply Katt, considering that's what she was), a friend of his from his days as a vigilante. She secretly had a crush on Falco, despite him not returning her feelings. The reason for that was because her untimely appearances nowadays threw him into a bad mood when it was the wrong moment (which it often was).

This, however, wasn't the wrong time at all.

"Katt! Is that you?" he asked joyfully.

She giggled.

"Who were you expecting? Andross?"

Falco rolled his eyes. That was another thing that he didn't like about her: she liked to take him for a fool…a lot!

"How've you been?" Falco asked.

"Just fine. You?"

"Good. Real good."

Katt grinned and leaned in closer to him.

"Damn, if Fox thought he was shy around Krystal, he ain't seen nothin' yet!" Falco thought.

"So…uh… what have you been up to? Staying out of trouble, I hope." he said.

"You could say that. I've been just…y'know…workin' for the Army. The Labrador unit, to be specific."

Falco took that as a wake-up call.

"The Army? Holy crap, you've grown up since I last saw ya!"

"Hehehe! C'mon, big guy! Let's dance!"

"Uh…OK, sure."

Katt grabbed his hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor. Hesitating, Falco took her hand and started dancing. When Fox got an eyeful of Katt and Falco, he became jealous. Slowly but surely, Lucy and Bill, along with Slippy and Amanda, joined the other couples dancing.

"OK, here goes nothin'." he thought as he walked over to Krystal, who seemed a little left out.

"Krystal?" Fox asked.

Krystal's ears pricked up and she looked at Fox with a big smile on her face.

"Yes, Fox?"

"Do you wanna dance?"

Krystal smiled even more.

"Sure." she said softly.

They walked out on to the floor. Right as they stepped out there, a fast-paced Latin pop song began playing, and soon they, all long with everyone else, were dancing the tango.

Fox thought about what he had been planning that night. Had bringing Krystal to a bar been the best idea? She seemed happy just being there in his arms and seeing her friends again.

He smiled.

"I can do this." he thought. "This'll work."

"What'll work?" Krystal asked, panting as she quickly moved to the beat.

"Crap."

He had forgotten one of Krystal's Cerinian mind powers: she could read the thoughts of the weak-minded. And since Fox got weak-minded a lot, it was easy for her to read him.

"Uh…nothing. Nothing"

Krystal smirked and rolled her eyes. She knew he was lying, but if it was a surprise for her, she didn't want to spoil it for herself.

After a few minutes, the song ended and the rap music played again. They parted, but still clutched each other's hands. They were both smiling and panting after their impressive dance.

"Thanks, Fox. I really enjoyed that."

"Heh. Yeah, me too."

They leaned toward each other and were inches way from touching their lips together when suddenly an extremely tall wolf with bloodshot eyes (likely from drinking too much) shoved Fox aside. He and his two buddies surrounded Krystal.

"Hey, baby." he said to her. "How's about you an' me go somewhere quiet and spend some time together, huh?

"Uh…I don't know if you noticed, but I've already got a date, so no thanks, pal!"

Krystal tried to step toward Fox, but she was blocked by the other two guys.

"Aw, c'mon! Don't be like that! Ditch him and we'll go have some fun!"

Krystal had only one response: "Why don't you go shove your thumb up your butt?"

"Hey, nutcase!" Fox said. "Did you just blow in from stupid town? I can hear everything you're saying!"

"Yeah, well vamoose!" the drunk said. "A chump like you doesn't deserve a fair maiden like this."

"Does he even know who he's talking to?" Fox thought angrily. "Drunken bastard…"

With those last few words, the drunk turned around and laid his giant hand on Krystal's bust. She shrieked and pulled away from him.

"YOU PERVERT!" she screamed.

Krystal slapped the guy across the face. He grabbed her wrist. Fox had seen enough. He threw the drunk's hand off and stepped in front of Krystal with his arms spread out defiantly.

"Keep your filthy paws off her, you son of a bitch!" he shouted.

"What're you gonna do about it?"

He seized Fox's neck. The other drunks proceeded to hit Fox in the face. Krystal screamed in horror. The punches stopped when Falco's voice rang through the air.

"YO! PAWS OF MY PAL!"

He gave a clean shot to the first guy's jaw, then pulled out his stun blasters and shot the other two in the butt. Falco crouched down next to Fox who was gasping for breath on all fours. Krystal knelt down and hugged Fox tightly.

"You OK, buddy?" Falco asked.

Fox rubbed his Adam's apple for a second, and then nodded. Krystal breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright, that's it!" the drunk shouted, standing up. "You're all goin' straight to hell when I'm done with you!"

"Hold it right there!"

Bill stood next to Fox.

"You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!" he said.

"That goes double for me!" said Katt as she came up next to Falco.

Fox was already having his doubts about tussling with these guys. It was true that he, Falco and Bill were some of the toughest guys in Corneria City, but could they handle THESE monstrosities?

Of course they could! They were mercenaries!

He grinned and taunted the drunks.

"Alright then! C'mon!"

The first one (the one who had violated Krystal) ran at Fox. The drunk threw a heavy punch at Fox's head, who ducked and punched the fiend in the face faster than you could say "Finish him! Fatality!"

Krystal tapped Fox's shoulder and cocked her head back. Several more drunks (probably more of the first one's buddies) came rushing right at them.

"Ah, crap." Fox muttered.

The drunks gathered around Fox and Krystal, who both smirked as they both got the same idea. Fox grabbed Krystal's wrists and spun her above his head. She managed to give nasty kicks to teach one gathered around them. She landed in front of Fox. They smiled, but then Fox's eyes widened.

"DUCK!" he shouted as he pushed her head down and punched the guy behind her.

The entire room had broken out into pure pandemonium. Everyone was either trying to get in on the fight and help the drunks or Fox, Falco and Bill, or they were taking cover behind tables.

Falco kicked one drunk in the chest and sent him careening back into his friends. One nearly had him from behind, when Katt cracked a bottle over the drunk's head and knocked him out.

Falco looked at her.

"Not bad for a woman!" he shouted.

"Guess I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself!" Katt replied.

Falco did a roundhouse kick and knocked away another drunk.

"Damn it! These guys are all over us!"

"Here," Katt said, grabbing his head. "You could use a little perk."

She kissed Falco's beak. His face flushed. He felt like he had the strength of ten men!

A drunk came up behind him. Falco grabbed the guy's middle and flipped him head over heels. Then, he gave several punches to the other ones coming for him. Slippy took Amanda and hid her under a table. Then he grabbed an empty bottle and started fighting along with the rest of his friends. Bill had his hands full with several other guys. He ducked underneath the punch of one and cart-wheeled away from the kick of another.

He was just about to get smoked in the face when Lucy jumped on the drunk's back and started strangling him.

"Phew! What a woman!" Bill thought as he punched the drunk's lights out.

Fox and Krystal jumped up onto a rafter, and when the first drunk and one of his buddies passed underneath, they dropped down on them.

Suddenly, a shotgun was fired off. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the entrance. Peppy was standing there.

"What in the hell is going on here?" he shouted.

Everyone was silent.

Peppy sighed. "I don't have all night so just cut it to me straight: who started this?"

The first drunk pointed at Fox. Fox pointed at the drunk.

Peppy sighed again and wiggled his finger.

"C'mere, Fox."

Fox blushed bright red. He walked over to Peppy.

"What's the matter, Fox? It's not like you to outburst like this."

"I…I was just being protective."

"Of what, may I ask?

"Of Krystal, that's what!" Falco spoke up as he stepped over to Peppy. "It ain't his fault! That…(He said a few words that made Peppy go "Falco!")…Krystal! You don't honestly think Fox was gonna take that lightly, do ya?"

"I see." Peppy glanced at the lead three drunks. "You boys! Out!"

The drunks left, but not before sneering at Fox.

"That should take care of everything." Peppy said.

He turned to the other people in the bar. "Carry on."

The music started up again along with the lights, the chattering and the break-dancing. Peppy holstered his shotgun and shook his head.

"Damn kids these days." he grumbled as he left.

Fox walked over to Krystal.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." she said, but as soon as she saw Fox, she gasped. "Oh my God! You've got a black eye!"

"What?"

Fox looked in the mirror nearby. Sure enough, his left eye was bright red and slightly puffing up. All of a sudden, he got angry.

"Well, that's just great." he growled.

"Can we leave?" Krystal asked.

"OK."

Krystal didn't feel very good about herself anymore. Because of her, Fox had gotten hurt tonight. She felt that this would just keep happening if she stayed with him. But she loved him so much. And she was sure he felt the same. She wasn't going to give up on him. Not now, and not ever.

They left.

"Well, I may have messed that up, but I'm not quite done yet." Fox thought.

"Come on." he said. "There's something I wanna show you."

"Okay."

**Later...**

A few minutes later, they were in front of Crescent Moon Lake. Fox had put some ice on his black eye and the puffing had gone down. They sat down by the bank and gazed at their reflections in the sparkling water, with the billions of stars shining above them.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? This just feels so much more…real than Cerinia." Krystal said.

Cerinia had been Krystal's home planet. It was destroyed several years ago when she was 19. She had been the only one who survived its apocalypse, because she escaped to Sauria before it exploded. She only talked about it every so often, and from what Fox knew, it was covered in vast jungles and populated all by blue-furred foxes.

"So she wasn't the only one." he had thought when she told him that.

"It IS beautiful. Just not as much as you." Fox said.

Krystal smiled at him and giggled. Then she stood up and took her jeans and sweater off. Underneath she wore a pink tank top and pink, skin-tight leather shorts. She jumped into the lake.

"What are you doing?" asked Fox. He was slightly confused.

"I'm swimming." Krystal said cheerfully. "Come on in! The water's fine!"

You couldn't really call it swimming, because she was in the shallowest part of the lake, which was only a little less than a foot deep.

"Uhh…I'm not sure." Fox said.

"Aw, come on!" Krystal pleaded, with a puppy-dog pout on her face. "Please? For me?

Fox shook his head, but stopped when Krystal splashed him with some water. He shook it off, then looked at her. She was mischievously grinning.

Fox smirked. He took off his jacket and sneakers. Underneath the jacket, he wore a black muscle shirt.

"C'mere, you!" he said, running in after Krystal.

Krystal playfully shrieked and started running. Fox came after her. When he caught up, he leaped forward and grabbed her legs. She fell along with him. They both stood up and laughed. Then they started splashing each other with water. For a few minutes, they played together like two newborn puppies, who thought everyone was their friend and thought that every day was the best day ever.

Eventually, Fox stopped to catch his breath. One moment he never wanted to depart from had come and gone, but a new one was just around the corner.

"I better ask her know before I forget." he said to himself.

"Ask me what?" Krystal asked.

Fox stood in front of her. He felt so small, like a peasant boy trying to confess words of love to an immortal goddess whom only a handful of people could even come close to impressing, but somehow, he knew he could do it.

"Krystal, do you know why I took you out tonight?" he asked.

"Hmmm." she thought for a little while, then devilishly grinned. "You wanted to get me ready for some…special treatment."

Special treatment? Good God, first Bill and now Krystal?

"Uhhh…no. Much better than that. I brought you here so I could ask you something very important."

Suddenly, Krystal had an idea about what he might have been talking about.

"Fox…"

She gazed deeply into his eyes and didn't dare on her life to look away. Fox got down on one knee and reached into his pocket.

"I wanted to ask you sooner, but I didn't think I was ready…now I am."

He pulled out a small velvet box. Krystal's heart started pounding like a hammer. She knew exactly what he was going to do, but she said and did nothing.

"Krystal…you are the very reason why I'm still alive today. I want to protect you with every fiber of my being. More importantly, I want you and me to be happy together…which is why I ask you, the most beautiful creature I've ever known…"

Fox opened the box. Inside was exactly what Krystal expected: a beautiful diamond ring.

"Will you marry me?"

Krystal gasped and covered her mouth. Her heart starting feeling like it would burn itself out. Fox had proposed to her! But would she say yes?

Krystal picked up the ring and fit it over her left ring finger. A perfect fit. Fox stood up. Tears of joy welled up in Krystal's eyes. After a few seconds of complete silence, she lunged forward, clasped her arms around Fox and kissed him. The force was so strong that Fox fell down on his rear end. Krystal still clung to him like a newborn child to its mother. He closed his eyes.

He did it.

Krystal pulled her head back. Joyful tears were still streaming from her eyes.

"Yes! I will!"

Fox grabbed at her again and they hugged tighter than ever before. They stood up. Krystal looked down at the ring on her finger. It gleamed in the moonlight. Fox wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"How does 2 months sound?" he asked.

"Anytime is the perfect time. Today, tomorrow, the end of time. I don't care. As long as I'm with you, I'll be forever complete." Krystal answered.

"Krystal…you've made me the happiest man in the universe."

They kissed again. The moonlight illuminated them as they stood in each other's warm embrace.

It was one of the happiest nights of their lives.

**Back home...**

That night, the two lay in Fox's bed. Krystal, in her warm tank top and pajama pants, slept, dreaming of the wonderful day that would soon be there.

Fox lay awake, gazing at his fiancée and smiled as he thought about something. He was already twenty-nine years old. If his parents were still around, they would have said "Get off your lazy ass and get married already! You need children and we need grandchildren!" He nearly laughed at the thought, but he didn't want to wake up his sleeping vixen. She deserved as much rest as she could get.

"Krystal…as long as I'm here…you'll never be harmed. I swear it." he whispered.

Fox brushed some of Krystal's hair out of her eyes. Feeling Fox's touch, she smiled. It was the greatest thing she could ever imagine. One of them, at least.

Fox kissed Krystal's cheek, then rolled over and fell asleep.

As he slept, he dreamt of the coming day. Both he and Krystal were ecstatic. They spoke their vows to the priest, said "I do," and sealed the deal with a passionate kiss.

Suddenly, the dream changed. He and Krystal were at home. They were holding a handful of blankets and looked down into a small gap in them, smiling. A pair of sleepy eyes and blue, pricked ears were visible.

It was a baby. A baby that bore a striking resemblance to Fox.

Could that baby be…their child? Of that, Fox wasn't sure.

But he knew he'd find out eventually.

_Not a bad introduction to our REAL main character if I do say so myself. Well, that's it for now. If the story gets some positive response I should have the second update ready in no time flat. Looking forward to hearing your opinions!_


	4. Marcus James McCloud

CHAPTER FOUR

**Marcus James McCloud**

**July 28****th****, 2035**

**Cornerian Marital Chapel**

"This is it, Krystal." said Amanda. "The day you've been waiting for."

Krystal gazed at herself in the mirror. "Yeah…I guess it is…wow, is this really me?"

"Ah, don't sweat it. You look lovely!"

She was dressed in a fantastic white wedding gown that seemed absolutely perfect for her. A translucent veil covered her face. Amanda was helping her tie up the back of the dress.

She had to admit that she looked particularly more beautiful than ever. But she had something else on her mind. She was remembering about being Kursed. It was like a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from. She never slept. She barely ate anything. All night she kept screaming for someone to just kill her. More than that, she wanted someone to want her again. She remembered feeling as though she would be miserable for the rest of her life…that her tainted decisions were swallowing her very soul.

Because of that, she felt like she had to drag everyone else down with her. But thanks to Fox, she was herself again: kind, loving…and ready for what lay ahead. Now, however, she worried less about herself and more about Fox. She could sense his thought patterns just a few rooms away, and he didn't seem calm at all.

"You seem a little tense." Amanda suddenly spoke up. "Are you okay?"

Krystal shook her head, bringing her mind back to reality.

"I'm…I'm just a little nervous. I can't believe this is really happening. And I've just been thinking, 'What would Mother and Father say if they were alive?'"

"I'm sure they'd like Fox, too."

"What about his parents…James and Vixy? Do you think they'd approve of me?"

"Don't get your tail in a knot, girl! They'd absolutely adore you!"

"But I think there might be something bothering him. I feel like something…just something is going to happen…something that might set him off."

Krystal closed her eyes for a moment and tried to visualize about what Fox was thinking about.

Suddenly, she saw someone in her head; a tall, muscular figure with gray and white fur, sharp claws and an ocular system where his left eye should have been.

Krystal's eyes snapped open.

"What's wrong?" Amanda asked.

"…Wolf is here."

Wolf O'Donnell was three years older than Fox, but they knew each other like the backs of their own hands. Wolf had been Fox's enemy for quite some time. No one really knew what set Fox off about him, but it was rumored that Wolf may have had some connection with Fox's dad (An obviously negative one at that).

Wolf himself led the criminal group called Star Wolf, which consisted of him, the wanted assassin Leon Powalski, and the team's Narcissistic member Panther Caroso. Each of them had large bounties on their heads, mostly for theft, (in Leon's case) murder, attacking Star Fox, and once even assisting the evil Venomian Army. But although Wolf considered Fox to be his rival, he admired Fox's bravery and had developed a certain respect for him.

But things were so tight between the two right now that if Wolf really was at Fox's wedding, he could have been willing enough to storm in and start a fistfight in ten seconds flat.

"Hey, don't worry about that. If Wolf does something stupid, he'll get his ass handed to him in less than a minute. The fact is you and Fox are getting married. That's one thing that isn't going to change." Amanda said finishing the last knot on Krystal's dress.

Krystal smiled and looked up with the uttermost confidence.

"Yes! That's right! By the end of today, whether anyone likes it or not, my name will be Krystal McCloud!"

**Meanwhile...**

What Krystal didn't know was that Fox wasn't angry about anything. He was just rushing at the speed of light. In another room in the chapel, he, Falco, Bill and Slippy were slipping their tuxedos on.

"I ain't even gettin' married and I still have to wear one of these monkey suits?" Falco whined. "This James Bond get-up just isn't my style!"

"Hey, quit your yappin', Falco." Slippy said, snapping on a bowtie. "Seriously, you're the one who's always tryin' to look good. This is one way to do that."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, frog boy."

"Phew! I can't believe the day's finally here." Fox beamed excitedly.

"Take it easy, bud." Bill said. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Sorry. I'm just so excited!"

Bill finished getting dressed, and then helped Fox get his suit on. He started giving Fox instructions on what to do.

"OK, remember, you go in there. When Krystal shows up, you take her hand. Try to pay attention to what the priest is saying. If you need to tell Krystal something, talk in a whisper out of the corner of your mouth."

"I don't really know how YOU know what to do, but it all checks out from the way I see it."

Slippy finished getting his suit on and checked his watch.

"OK, we've got 4 minutes. Let's go!"

The four men ran out of the room and into the main hall. Sprinting up the aisle, they bent over and took a breather.

"Right on time, boys." said the 'priest'.

Fox looked up.

"Peppy?"

Believe it or not, Peppy was standing right there.

"No time to talk." he said. "Krystal will be here any second. Take your places."

Fox stood next to Peppy, then Falco stood next to Fox and so on. Out of the corner of his eye, Fox could see Wolf O'Donnell standing with his arms crossed in a shadowy corner where no one could see him.

'What in Grimm's name is HE doing here?" Fox thought.

He couldn't do anything right there where everyone could see. He decided to deal with Wolf at the reception if he was there.

Suddenly, the church door opened. Everyone turned to look. The three bridesmaids (Amanda, Lucy, and Slippy's 13-year old niece Barbara.) came walking down the aisle. Following behind them, looking more radiant than ever, was Krystal.

Everyone stared with bright smiles on their faces. Lucy's 2-year old cousin even asked "Mommy…is that an angel?", and when his mother said no, he replied, "Well, she looks like one!"

Hearing the child's words made Krystal smile. She loved children, because they reminded her of when she was young and carefree. Hearing the little boy call her an angel made her feel warm and tingly inside.

She got an even greater feeling when she saw Fox.

"This is it…just a few more minutes…and it'll be a done deal!" she thought excitedly.

Fox himself smiled.

"Wow, she's even more beautiful than ever." he thought.

Amanda, Lucy and Barbara stood on Peppy's other side. Bill winked at Lucy, who blushed and quietly giggled in return.

Krystal stood next to Fox. They both turned and face Peppy and took each other's hand. Peppy started speaking, and Krystal whispered to Fox out of the corner of her mouth.

"So this is it."

"Yeah."

"Fox, please don't get angry, but I think…"

"Wolf is here?"

She sounded surprised.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"He's standing in the corner over there."

Krystal nearly turned her head.

"Don't look." Fox said.

She turned her head back to Peppy.

"But even if Wolf is here, I still love you with all my heart. You know that, right?"

"I do." Krystal said aloud.

'Do you, Fox McCloud," Peppy said. "take Krystal to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health so long as you both shall live?"

They turned their attention to Peppy.

"I do." Fox said proudly.

Krystal smiled and brought up her veil, revealing her face.

"By the power invested in me," Peppy said, "I now pronounce this couple 'Husband and Wife'."

Krystal hugged Fox and kissed him with the strength of a bear. Everyone stood up and cheered.

They were finally married.

Krystal drew back. Both she and Fox had smiles on their faces.

'I love you, Fox."

"I love you, too, Krystal."

**Later...**

At the reception, literally everyone was talking. The children kept staring at Krystal, still thinking she was an angel from Heaven, but nevertheless, they didn't dare to approach her. They knew that only Fox deserved that fine creature.

Speaking of Fox, he and Krystal were talking to each other.

"Fox…do you think having a child would be a good idea?" Krystal asked.

Fox thought for a moment. His father had always told him that raising him was difficult at times, but when Fox grew older and learned to take care of himself, it always seemed good for James and Vixy (Fox's mother) to see how they raised him.

Fox smiled. "It may start off being a pain at first, but trust me; it'll all be worth it in the end to see his bright smiling face."

"He? How do you know it'll be a boy?"

"…a little birdie told me."

Fox's ears pricked up when he felt as though he were being watched. He turned to a shadowy corner. Wolf was standing there, glaring at him through his silvery eyes. He cocked his head. A signal for Fox to come to him. He did.

"What are you doing here?" Fox asked roughly.

"Making sure you don't screw things up for yourself." Wolf answered in his gruff, Southern voice.

"I didn't ask you to come!"

"I came anyway. Have you ever considered that you're a little too touchy?"

Fox grimaced. He couldn't stand being ridiculed, especially in front of Krystal.

"You have to realize that you've put yourselves in danger by getting married." Wolf said.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't, but I recommend you disband Star Fox."

"Why should I?"

"If you don't, Krystal, or maybe your future kid, could get hurt… if you know what I mean."

Fox grew extremely angry.

"Are you threatening me, O'Donnell?"

"Not at all. But I still say that, for once, you should listen to me. Your enemies can use those your love as a way to get to you."

Fox was silent.

"Funny." Wolf smirked. "I figured that the death of your father would have taught you that already. Guess I was wrong."

He began walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Fox asked.

Wolf stopped. He didn't look back.

"I go wherever the cosmos take me. That's the way I've always lived. Just take my advice, pup. You may be sorry if you don't."

With that, Wolf left.

Fox grumbled.

"Quit calling me that."

Krystal walked over to him and touched his face.

"Fox, just ignore him." She said. "We're married and that's all that matters."

"I don't know….maybe he's right…but now I wish he'd get back here so I can punch him in the face!"

"Don't worry, Fox. He's just being the idiot that he is. It's not like if you don't listen to him, you'll drop dead on the spot."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

A microphone crackled. Bill's voice was heard over the crowd.

"Quiet down, everyone." he said. "It's time for Fox to come up and make his speech. Come on up here, bud."

Everyone applauded. Fox kissed Krystal, then got up on the stage and took the microphone from Bill.

"Uhh…well, first off, I want to thank you all for coming. I want to thank my friends, Bill Grey, Slippy Toad, Falco Lombardi, Amanda Lily, Peppy and Lucy Hare for helping me every step of the way."

Everyone applauded again. Amanda smiled and kissed Slippy, who gave Fox a thumbs-up in return.

Fox continued.

"I want to thank their families as well for coming on such short notice. They barely know me, but thanks anyway….and lastly, I want to thank my new wife, Krystal. We met 4 years ago and literally fell in love at first sight. She's also a great pilot…and a great friend. We've both been through the same difficulties of losing our parents when we were still teenagers…and soon we may have a child who will look up to us in the darkest moments. Because of that, I swear to protect her at any cost…even if I must sacrifice my life."

Fox sighed. "This leads me to something very sincere that I must discuss."

That was it. Wolf had gotten to him.

"You all know me as the head of the commando-for-hire group, Star Fox. Though we save entire planetary systems on a regular basis, most of the dangers that this planet, and many others like it, have been forced to suffer, from the Venomians to the Anglar Empire, is because of us. And I understand that we're loved here and all across the Lylat System, but as of now…I'm disbanding Star Fox."

Everyone gasped. Fox bowed his head.

"I'm terribly sorry, but soon, Falco, Slippy and I will have families that we'll need to take care of. We don't want them going without parents like I did. Remember, my father was a pilot, and when he was sent to investigate Venom, that was the last time I ever saw him…can you believe that? I never got to say good-bye to my own dad."

Fox looked up.

"But still, we do not want our children to be submitted to the dangers of their parents' profession. So that's my final word on the subject."

Everyone was nervously chattering. Fox sighed again.

"Anyway, again, thanks for coming."

Fox stepped down. He sat down and covered his face with his hands as everyone began chattering again. He felt small again.

"Lord have mercy on me for being so faint-hearted." he muttered.

Falco, Krystal, Slippy, Bill and Peppy came up to him. Falco sat next to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"It's OK, Fox." he said. "We would have done the same thing if we were you…well, I wouldn't, but you know what I mean."

Fox uncovered his face.

"Thanks…but you don't need to feel sorry for me...goddamn it, I'm so stupid."

Krystal stooped down in front of Fox and hugged him.

"You'd disband Star Fox just to keep me safe?"

"Yes, Krystal."

Fox gazed into her eyes…her hypnotizing, deep blue eyes that warmed his very heart just staring into them.

"Now, your safety is my highest priority. I'm not going to let you get hurt...not again."

Krystal smiled and kissed him… one of the millions of times she did during their marriage, which remained for the rest of their lives and never weakened.

But now…let's skip ahead 2 years…to their next life-changing event.

**2 years later**

"Krystal! Wake up!" Fox said loudly with a tone of panic in his voice.

"It's alright, Fox." said the doctor. "She's just sleeping…not that I'm surprised.

Fox breathed a sigh of relief. The doctor held up a bundle of blankets and handed it to Fox. He pulled a bit back and looked inside. Two tiny eyes stared back at him.

It was the same baby from his dream. He had Krystal's blue and white fur, but other than that, he looked almost exactly like Fox when he was a baby, save the fact that his eyes were hazel.

Another thing Fox noticed was that the baby's eyes had the same hypnotizing gaze that Krystal had, and was using it right now to study the tall creature that was holding him. _What was it? Why was it looking at him? Was it going to hurt him? Why did it look so much like him?_

Fox held out his pinkie to his newborn son. The little boy slowly grabbed it. He laughed.

Fox smiled.

"Hey, there, little fella." he whispered. 'Y'know who I am?"

The baby laughed again. Only alive for a minute and he already knew his own father just by looking at him. _The tall creature's voice was smooth and soft…the voice of a gentle friend. The tall creature wasn't going to hurt him. It was his father. He was safe in its arms._

"Krystal, wake up." Fox gently nudged his wife.

Krystal stirred, then slowly opened her eyes. Fox handed her the baby. She was overjoyed.

"Oh, he's so precious!" she said.

The baby laughed when he saw Krystal. He knew his mother, too. _The creature that held him now was the most beautiful thing he could see. It had his stare, and the more he looked into the creature's big blue eyes, the more he knew he was safe. The beautiful creature was his mother._

"Wow, we made one good-looking kid. I just wish Mom and Dad could see this." Fox said.

Krystal smirked. "You wish your parents could see everything."

They smiled at each other and kissed. Fox sat down next to Krystal.

"What should we call him?" Fox asked.

"….How about…Marcus? It was my father's name." Krystal said.

"And his middle name?" the doctor asked.

Fox and Krystal looked at each other and smiled.

"James." they said together.

Fox gazed happily at his baby and hugged Krystal.

_Marcus smiled up at the two beautiful creatures, who smiled back at him. He was in the world now, breathing and alive. Now, he could see what was out there for him. _

_Now, his story began._


	5. Best Friends

CHAPTER FIVE

**Best Friends**

**September 4****th****, 2043**

**Cornerian Elementary**

Marcus gulped. Today was his first day of elementary school, and he was nervous beyond belief. He didn't recognize anyone, because he hadn't made any friends in kindergarten. Pretty sad for a kid his age. (6 years old to be exact.)

His mom and dad had driven him to his new school, and all the way they kept telling him how great it would be, socializing with kids his own age (Whatever that meant.) Every time they told him that, he rolled his eyes when they weren't looking. The school was also a middle school, meaning they mixed kids his age in with 12 and 13-year olds…

…which was bad. Really bad.

Marcus looked back at his parents, who stood right behind him.

It had seemed like only yesterday that he had been sitting on his dad's shoulders, joyfully laughing, as his mom and dad smiled at how happy their child was. Those were the days.

In fact, since he was only six that still happened a lot.

"I don't feel so good." Marcus said to Fox.

Fox stooped down and laid a hand on his son's shoulder. Krystal did the same on the other.

"It's OK, sport." Fox said. "I was nervous on my first day of school, too."

"You just need to talk to some other kids your age." Krystal said. "You'll do fine."

Marcus grimaced. That was easy for them to say.

From what he had heard, Fox had been a bit of a troublemaker when he went to school, and he always had Bill and Slippy to keep an eye on him. Krystal, because she was from a primitive planet where Cornerian law did not apply, never went to school.

But Marcus knew that his mom was far from stupid…in fact, she was anything BUT stupid.

Marcus sighed. "What if no one likes me? I mean…I don't even know anyone here."

"You don't need to know them to get to know them." Krystal said.

Marcus didn't even know what that was supposed to mean.

"I guarantee you that when you leave here today you'll have made at least one friend." Fox said.

"You sure?" Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"C'mon! Have I ever steered you wrong?"

Marcus looked at his parents and grinned. He had to admit, Fox was right. When it came to Marcus and his personal problems, Fox had yet to be wrong.

"OK! I'll do it!" he said.

"That's the spirit." Krystal said, smiling sweetly and kissing her son on the cheek.

They both gave Marcus loving hugs. Marcus inhaled, exhaled, and took his first step toward the school.

"And one more thing, buddy!" Fox called.

Marcus looked back.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"If anyone gives you a hard time in there, you tell us as soon as we come to pick you up, OK?"

"You got it!"

Fox and Krystal got back in their hovercraft (a futuristic replacement for a car. It was more efficient because it ran off electricity and didn't give off exhaust.), waved to Marcus, and called out one last thing: "Remember, you are a McCloud."

There were plenty of things that Marcus didn't understand, like where babies come from, how the time zones worked, why "Scars of Yesterday" by DragonForce was so hard to beat on Expert, or even what the heck a hot dog was made of. But THAT went ahead and kicked them all halfway across the galaxy.

He smiled and waved as his parents drove back to their house. As soon as they were out of sight, he frowned.

"What's so special about being a McCloud?" he asked himself.

Fox and Krystal never told Marcus that they had once been members of the Star Fox team. In fact, he didn't know spit about Star Fox and had never even heard of it.

Marcus looked at the school again just as the bell rang.

"Here goes nothin'." he said to himself.

As the other kids started running toward the front door, Marcus followed them. When he was about twenty feet from the door, an 8th grader rammed his arm and knocked his books out of his hand.

Marcus groaned.

"Aww, man!" he whined as he bent over to pick them up. "I haven't been here for five minutes and already I…OUCH!"

As Marcus bent over, his head smacked into someone else's.

"Hey, watch it!" the boy said.

Marcus sighed. "Sorry."

He picked up his books then handed another one to the boy; a short but lanky frog with a red T-shirt, a brown jacket, orange skin and a fedora on his head.

Marcus held out his hand. "I'm Marcus."

The boy stared at Marcus' hand, then took it.

"Chase Toad."

Marcus' eyes widened.

"Does that mean your dad is Slippy Toad?"

"How do you know my dad?"

"My dad is Fox McCloud. He was best friends with your dad."

Chase smiled.

"Oh, yeah! You're McCloud's kid! Nice to meet you!"

Chase and Marcus had actually first met each other years ago when Slippy and Amanda had brought Chase over to Fox and Krystal's house. While the adults talked and laughed with one another, the two babies passed a ball back and forth and stacked plastic blocks one on top of the other to make a tower together. Neither of them could remember this because it had happened when they were both only two months old.

A sharp voice rang from the door.

"Come on, boys. Your teacher doesn't have all day."

Marcus and Chase turned to see their principal standing in the doorway.

"Coming, sir!" they called.

Chase looked at Marcus.

"Let's skip the bittersweet introduction before we're late."

"Check." Marcus replied

**In moments...**

Chase and Marcus sprinted down the hall and ran into Room 211. The teacher had been stepping toward the door, getting ready to close it.

The boys doubled over and started panting.

"Right on time, boys." the teacher said. "Please take a seat."

They did. Marcus sat in a desk three spots away from the door. Chase sat behind him. The teacher had just about closed the door when someone slammed into it at full speed. When the teacher opened the door, a female hare with floppy ears and a pink sweater stood there rubbing her forehead.

"My goodness!" the teacher said. "Are you alright, dear?"

The girl spoke in a dazed voice.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm fine…ouch."

The girl stumbled over to the desk to Marcus' left and sat down. The teacher started giving roll-call. Marcus tapped the girl on the shoulder. She looked at him.

"I'm Marcus." he whispered.

The girl shook the stars out of her eyes and smiled.

"Hi, Marcus. I'm Anna."

"Anna Marie Grey?" the teacher called.

Anna raised her hand. "Here."

Believe it or not, Marcus and Anna had met before, as well. Krystal was on her way to the bank downtown, pushing baby Marcus along in a stroller, when she bumped into Lucy. The two began to talk about old times, while Marcus and Anna stared at each other. Apparently, Marcus had made a funny face and sent Anna into fits of laughter. If he had, though, he didn't remember, because once again, he had only been two months old.

"Hey, isn't your granddad General Hare?" Chase asked Anna silently as she sat down.

"Yep. My dad's Commander Bill Grey." she replied.

"Marcus James McCloud?"

Marcus raised his hand. Everyone was looking at him with their mouths wide open.

"Here." he said.

The teacher smiled.

"Another one, eh?" she said. "I had your father back when he was your age. Yours, as well, Ms. Grey. Quite the mischievous little jokers, I must say."

Anna and Marcus blushed.

"We'll try to be less careless, ma'am." Marcus assured.

Much later… "Chase Toad?"

Chase raised his hand.

"Here."

**3:20 P.M.**

Marcus had to admit that the day had gone fairly well in terms of smooth sailing, and just as the teacher was finishing showing them a map of the entire Lylat System (beginning with Corneria and ending with Sauria), the bell rang.

"Collect your things, everyone. See you tomorrow."

Marcus heaved his backpack onto his back. Chase was the first one out the door.

"See you tomorrow, ma'am." Marcus said as he left.

He started walking down the hall toward the main entrance when he saw Chase round a corner.

Marcus remembered what Krystal had said…how if he socialized and got to know people, he'd make friends.

Marcus sighed. It was then or never. He jogged after Chase, but when he heard a metallic slam, he stopped in his tracks. He carefully peeked around the corner. Three 8th graders were blocking the door Chase was trying to get out of.

"Ya got a dollar, twerp?" the leader asked.

"No. Just let me through." Chase retorted.

"If you don't got one, then get lost!"

"I just wanna go home! Get outta my way, you big jerk!"

The leader grabbed Chase's neck and opened a locker.

"Hope you got nothin' planned for the night, kid, 'cause you'll be spending it in here!"

The bully threw Chase in.

"Someone help!" Chase screamed.

"Make like a frog and croak, toad!"

The bully slammed the door. It beeped to indicate it had locked. Chase started pounding on the door. Marcus couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he wasn't about to let those jerks get away with it.

Marcus stepped out from his hiding place.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" he shouted.

The bullies saw him, then immediately sprinted forward and pummeled him in the stomach. Marcus groaned and fell on his side, clutching himself. His stomach hurt so much that he wanted to cry, but if there was anything he learned from Fox, it was that crying never gets you anywhere except a tight spot. So he just sucked it up and shouted a few random curse words that he knew in his head to ease off the pain.

"Let's get outta here before the crybaby goes and squeals on us." the leader said.

With that, they walked off.

"Screw you, you stupid mother…oh God." Marcus groaned.

"Marcus?" asked Chase from inside the locker. "Is that you?"

"Y-yeah.….I think I'm gonna puke."

"Marcus!" a female voice called out.

It was Anna. She came running down the hall, stopped in front of Marcus, kneeled down and lifted up his head.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Marcus weakly stood up.

"I might have some internal bleeding, but otherwise, I'm OK. Chase certainly isn't."

They ran to the locker where Chase was trapped.

"Chase, can you here me?" Marcus called.

"Yeah, but how am I gonna get outta here?"

Marcus looked at the door. It had a computer lock, so if he wanted to open it, he had to punch in the right nine-digit code. And since he was only a 1st grader and didn't use a locker, he didn't know the code.

Marcus angrily groaned, but then a light bulb went on in his head.

"Chase, do you think we could break the door down somehow?" he called.

"A-are you nuts?" Anna shrieked. "If we do that we'll get detention for sure!"

"Look, do you wanna get him outta there or not?"

That shut Anna up. Chase felt around inside the locker.

"The door is made of titanium-alloy, and from my estimate, it seems to have suffered some internal oxidation from frequent use." he called.

"Uhh…English, please?" Marcus said.

"To put it in simple terms, it's a piece of crap. If we apply enough force from both sides, the door should pop right open."

"OK," called Marcus. He looked at Anna and grabbed the handle on the door. "Grab hold."

She did.

"OK, guys. On the count of three, Anna and I will yank on the handle. Chase, you kick the door as hard as you can."

"Got it."

"One…two…THREE!"

Anna and Marcus yanked. Chase kicked the door with both of his feet.

"Again! One…two…THREE!"

They did it again.

"Is it working?" Anna asked.

"One sec." Chase said.

He checked the hinge.

"It's coming out! One more kick should do it!"

"OK! One…two…THREE!" Marcus shouted.

The door opened with a violent force. Marcus and Anna fell flat on their backs and Chase tumbled out of the opening and on top of Anna. Their faces were inches away from each other. They were both blushing. Chase rolled off of her.

The three stood up, looked at each other for a few seconds…and literally burst out laughing!

"Phew!" Chase breathed. "I thought I was never gonna get out of there. I owe ya one!"

"No problem." Marcus said.

"You know…this is just a guess, mind you, but I think we'd all make really good friends!" Anna said, smiling.

"Alright! Up top!" Chase said, holding up his fist.

Marcus and Anna looked at each other with awkward looks on their faces. Chase grimaced.

"C'mon, guys. Don't leave me hangin'." he said.

Marcus smiled and shrugged.

"Might as well." he said to Anna.

The three knuckle-bumped.

"Let's amscray! Our parents are probably getting worried!"

They ran out the front door. When they got outside, they saw Fox, Krystal, Slippy, Amanda, Bill and Lucy talking amongst themselves. Marcus touched his index finger and thumb to his teeth and made a loud whistle.

The adults looked over and saw their kids running toward them.

"Hi, guys." said Marcus as he gave Fox and Krystal each a big hug.

"Hello, sweetheart." said Krystal.

"How was your day at school?" asked Fox.

Marcus looked over. Chase and Anna waved to him. He smiled and waved back, then turned to his parents.

"It was awesome!"

From that moment on, Marcus never got scared of going to school ever again…

…because he always knew he was liked by someone other than his parents.

Now he had two best friends.


	6. The Truth Comes Out

CHAPTER SIX

**The Truth Comes Out**

**June 2****nd****, 2047**

**Cornerian Elementary**

Marcus, Chase and Anna were now each ten years old. And ever since the locker incident four years ago, Chase and Anna had become Marcus' closest (in fact, his only) friends. They literally went everywhere together. They hung out about every weekend, and if they ever got into a "sticky situation", they worked together to get out of it. (Kind of like a certain commando-for-hire unit from the past, am I right?)

Anna's best subjects were geography and physics, because Lucy was an astrophysics teacher on the planet Fichina, and Peppy had been a great cartographer before he became the general. Chase was good at everything except gym, because he was slow and was somewhat skinny. He made up for it with his construction skills. He could build or fix anything that he set his mind to. Marcus was a B+ student in everything except History and Gym, because for some reason, when someone famous in Lylatian history was brought up, he knew who they were instantly…almost as though he were psychic (Hint, hint). Not only that, but he was usually picked to be the captain in sports because he was good at giving orders.

Right now, it was 3:20 p.m. on Friday, and the gang had just left school.

"So, what do you guys wanna do today?" Marcus asked.

Chase shrugged. "Dunno. You wanna go to the movies later? I got my allowance yesterday."

"That depends on what's playing there right now." Anna said.

Chase pushed up his fedora (which oddly still fit him after four years) and thought for a second. He got a smug grin on his face.

"How 'bout Grayson X?"

Anna scowled. "No way, Jose! That's some dumb horror movie about some guy in a mask going around killing people! It's redundant, it's sickening, and nobody in their right mind would think it was good!"

"Relax, I was just kidding! My mom always gives me a lecture on mature content when I try to watch anything like that. Heck, she even grounded me for three days for trying to sneak a stoner comedy home for my brother to watch."

Anna grinned.

"How about we go down to the public pool? They're showing Dawn down there."

"Pff! That stupid vampire movie from…I dunno, like, 17 years ago? No chance, girl! Everyone's sick of that now! It's just about a buncha mutant teenagers fighting! You wanna see a REAL vampire? Have a look at Dracula!"

"It's better than some zombie jock murdering people in space!"

Even though they were best friends, Chase and Anna argued a lot, usually about Chase's huge ego and Anna's girly attitude. And usually, the only one who could break them up was Marcus.

"Hey, you two, don't start!" Marcus butted in. "Look, we'll go home and think about what we wanna do, then we'll call each other later and talk about it. Sound fair?"

"OK." Anna replied, running off in the direction of her house. "See you later, boys!"

"See ya!" the boys shouted after her.

Marcus and Chase said good-bye to each other, and then split off in the directions of their houses.

Marcus slowed down and waited a little bit to make sure no one was watching, and then he slipped into a nearby alley. He slipped off his backpack, hung it on a hook sticking out of the wall, stretched a little bit, and groaned.

"Man, I've been sitting on my butt all day. Time for a little exercise!"

He bent his knees and performed a few nimble flips of the walls. He jumped off a dumpster, grabbed a pole jutting from the wall, did a loop-de-loop on it, and released it. He landed on another dumpster, side-flipped off of it, and when he landed, he ran up the wall and grabbed an iron rung hanging from the balcony above. With another nimble flip, he landed right side up on the ground.

Marcus always enjoyed exercising after a long day at school. It made him feel fast and light on his feet. When he asked his mother, she said that she had once been extremely flexible and could do all kinds of nifty tricks.

That gave Marcus an idea: try something Mom did.

He ran at a wall, jumped and kicked himself off it. The propulsion from the kick sent him flying toward a window sill on the opposite wall. He reached up and was just about to grab the sill when he realized he was too low.

"Oh, shi…"

He smacked into the wall and fell into an open dumpster. With his clothes covered in skins from rotten fruit and pieces of discarded paper, Marcus sat up and groaned.

"What did Mom and Dad do that makes the McCloud name so special? To me, it's a good-for-nothing curse."

It was true. Ever since the kids at school figured out his last name, they treated him like a parasite, running at the mere sight of him. It made him feel lonely…or rather, it would if Chase and Anna weren't his only two friends. Sometimes, however, he wished someone else would come and be his friend…someone from another world if they had to be.

But not a girlfriend! In his and Chase's opinion, having a girlfriend was as bad as having a bug for a face. He even said to his parents that he'd never get married, but Fox assured him that when he hit puberty, he'd change his mind.

Suddenly, he heard a crash and a girl shrieking in terror. Marcus climbed out of the dumpster, grabbed his backpack off the hook in the wall, and peeked around the corner. A young wolf girl about his age with gray and white fur, a spiky ponytail and a black and white sweater, was being cornered by three really big guys.

"Leave me alone!" the girl screamed.

Where had Marcus seen this before?

"You can't diss one of us and expect to get away with it so lightly, you little bitch!" one of the guys said angrily.

If he was using profanity, this had to be serious.

"Now you're gonna pay for it!" another one shouted.

He grabbed the girl's shirt collar, lifted her off the ground and raised his fist. The girl screamed.

Hey, wait a second! You couldn't hit a girl.

Marcus had seen enough. He ran out of his hiding spot at the one who had the girl and kicked the guy in the groin. The guy fell on the ground and dropped the girl.

"You've got a lot of nerve attacking a defenseless girl, you jerk!" Marcus shouted with his fists raised.

The guy Marcus had nailed turned around, still covering his groin.

"It's you!" he shouted.

At first, Marcus had no idea what he was talking about. But after a few seconds of looking at him and his cronies, it hit him. These were the same guys that threw Chase in the locker four years ago! Only now they had to be at least seventeen!

"Uhh…well, haven't seen you guys in a while. How've you been?" Marcus stammered like an idiot.

"You've messed with us for the last time!" the lead punk said. "You're getting more than a smack in the gut this time, bub!"

"The things I get myself into…"

Marcus prepared himself as the goons came at him. A heavy blow aimed at his head was countered by a duck and an uppercut to the jaw. One of them tried sneaking up behind Marcus, but he was dealt with by a back kick to the chest.

It had only been four years since he last saw these guys, but since that day he messed with them, he trained hard in both agility and strength in case he ever ran into them again. Fox and Krystal had kept a close eye on him while he trained and occasionally popped by to help him out. Krystal had even considered teaching him how to use her staff.

But getting back to the fight going on at that particular moment, Marcus rolled between one's goon's legs, cart-wheeled toward the girl and landed in front of her with his fists raised.

"Who ARE you?" she shrieked.

Marcus didn't have time to answer. He pulled a thin lead pipe out from the dumpster behind him and swung it at the goons. He managed to thwack them in the face with it and send them flying back into a wall. Marcus panted, threw away the pipe and turned to the girl

"Come on!"

He grabbed her hand and they started running down the alley. The goons had recovered from the severe blows to the face and started running after them.

"Man, this kid's gotten a hell of a lot tougher." one of them said to their leader.

"I know that! I ain't stupid!"

"Oh, yeah? Then why did you threaten a sophomore to do your homework or he'd 'wake up with no head'?"

"Shut up, dumbass! I just…had better things to do, that's all!"

Marcus noticed an iron ladder leading up to the roof of one of the buildings.

"Up there!" he said to the girl. "Quick!"

The girl jumped onto the ladder and began climbing as quickly as she could. Marcus grabbed the bottom rung and began to climb up after her, when one of the goons grabbed his ankle. Using his free foot, Marcus kicked the goon several times in the face, then wrenched his ankle free and kept going.

Marcus managed to reach the roof. The girl stood there staring at him when he got to the top.

"Uhh…hi?" he said stupidly.

He heard a growl behind him. He looked back and saw the goons hoisting themselves onto the roof.

"You're goin' down, twerp!" the lead goon said.

"Maybe, but not today!" Marcus shot back.

He raised his fists as they drew closer. A spinning back kick to the groin threw one off balance, while a swift uppercut to the jaw took out another. The third one pulled himself up onto the roof when the other two stood up again.

Grabbing the girl's wrist, Marcus ran across the rooftops.

Now that he thought about it, who the heck was the girl, anyhow? He was pretty sure he'd never seen her in school before. If he had, he would have known her in an instant. He had a photographic memory, so there was know way he could forget a face.

The two stopped at the edge of the building and looked down. A dumpster lay directly twenty feet below them. They looked at each other. Marcus mischievously grinned. The girl's mouth dropped open.

"You've gotta be kidding!" she shouted.

"Too bad. I'm not."

The girl looked down, then back at the goons fast approaching then down again, then at Marcus.

"NO WAY!"

Marcus tightened his grip.

"Way."

He jumped, pulling the girl along with him. They landed in the trash heap. Marcus sat up and shook the stars out of his eyes before climbing out. The girl climbed out, then doubled over panting.

Marcus laid a hand on her shoulder.

"You OK?" he asked.

She glared at him, then stood up and pushed his hand away

"Don't touch me, you creep!" she retorted.

"Huh? Hey, I was just trying to…"

"Look, pal!" the girl said, poking him in the chest. "I don't know who you think you are, but you can't go around touching girls like that! What, were you raised in a barn?"

Marcus frowned and pushed the girl's hand off.

"Well, excuuuse ME, princess! I think I'm the guy that just saved your butt from complete devastation. You don't need to thank me or anything, but at least show a little decency!"

The girl opened her mouth to say something else, but she realized that Marcus had a point in the matter. She shut her mouth and looked at her feet.

She sighed.

"Thanks for saving me. It takes a lot of guts to stand up to someone like those guys."

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, at least THIS time I didn't get hurt." he thought.

He forced the thought out of his head, then slowly reached over and took the girl's hand. She looked up at him and blushed. His hand was very soft, and very warm as well.

"Um…if you don't mind me asking…what's your name?" Marcus asked

The girl stared into his hazel eyes. They seemed to be looking into her very soul from the way that Marcus stared at her. She felt a little scared and a little comforted at the same time.

"I'll remember these eyes 'till the day I die." she thought

"My name is C…"

She stopped in mid-sentence and gasped.

"Look out!"

Marcus looked behind him and saw the three goons sprinting at them.

"Uh oh!"

Suddenly, a tall figure jumped down from one of the rooftops and landed in front of Marcus and the girl. He pulled out a laser blaster and aimed it at the goons.

"You punks have ten seconds to get your butts outta here before I fry your guts onto the street!" he said in a Brooklyn accent.

The goons were scared stiff by the figure.

"It's...him!" the leader stammered.

They turned around and fled down the street. The figure holstered his blaster. Marcus smirked. One guy scared off three 17-year old thugs.

"Wuss!" he shouted after them.

Marcus looked to the side to see if the girl was OK, but she was no longer standing there. She had made a break for it.

"….She's gone." he muttered.

He looked at the figure, who turned to him. Marcus raised his fists, getting ready to fight if necessary, but immediately lowered them when he saw the figure's face.

"Hey! You're Falco Lombardi, aren't you?" Marcus asked.

Falco grinned and took of the shades covering his eyes.

"Smart kid. I shouldn't expect anything less from Fox and Krystal's son." he replied. "And let me tell ya, that was real brave what you just did for that girl."

Marcus had seen pictures of Falco before. He'd found out that Falco had been the marksman in a mercenary group before Marcus was born. (The group obviously being Star Fox, but right now Marcus didn't know that name)

"You know my parents? They never mentioned you."

"Of course! Them and I go way back. They're even more famous than me these days."

Marcus suddenly felt like he'd been smacked on the head. Famous? His parents were famous and not the ordinary people they seemed (and claimed) to be? Now was his chance to figure out why the McCloud name was so special.

"Tell me more about it!" he blurted out.

Falco was about to say something when they heard Fox's voice.

"Marcus!"

Marcus looked behind Falco. Fox and Krystal ran down the alley towards him. Krystal immediately pulled Marcus into her.

"Sweetie, where have you been?" she asked nearly hysterically. "We were about to call the police and report you missing!"

"And how many times have we told you not to talk to strangers?" scolded Fox.

"Pff! First time I've heard that comin' from him!" Falco smugly thought.

"But Dad!" Marcus whined. "I'm fine! And this guy isn't a stranger! He's Falco Lombardi!"

"What are you ta…"

Fox stopped in mid-sentence when he saw his old friend.

"Falco! Is that really you, buddy?"

"In the feathers, bro!"

The two immediately started chatting away.

"So how've you been? You got kids yet?" asked Fox.  
"Nope. Not even engaged or anything." Falco replied. "But trust me, if I did…whew! They wouldn't be nearly as brave as Marcus here."

Fox looked at his son with surprise.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"He saved some girl's ass from a couple of street punks a few minutes ago."

"Easy with the language. There's a kid present, y'know."

Krystal looked at Marcus.

"You saved someone?"

Marcus nodded.

"It's true!"

Fox looked back at Falco.

"He reminds me of someone else I know." Falco said, glancing at Fox.

Marcus's ears pricked up when he heard Falco say that.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Well, kid, it's kind of a long story." Falco replied.

"We don't have time for long stories right now." Fox said. "We'll see ya later."

Fox and Krystal were just about to lead Marcus out of the alley when Falco spoke up.

"Whoa, hold on a sec! I'll come back to your place with you and we'll talk about it then!"

Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for working with me!" he thought.

Fox's eyes widened.

"You wanna come to our house?" he asked

"Sure!" Falco replied. "After all, you two and I have some catching up to do."

"Uhh…I'm not sure…you're not busy or anything?"

Falco smirked and rolled his eyes. When was the last time HE was busy?

"Come on, I insist! I won't take no for an answer."

Fox sighed and grinned. "Alright, Falco."

**Later...**

Falco decided to stay at the McCloud's house for dinner. He hadn't seen Fox or Krystal in eleven years, and he really wanted to make sure everything was going alright with them. Of course, it was, but Falco knew right away that they hadn't told something very important to Marcus.

Everyone sat at the dining room table. The adults immediately started eating, but Marcus just stabbed lightly at the plate with his fork with a washed out look on his face. Falco knew that look. It was the look Fox got when he was thinking extremely hard about something.

Krystal knew it, as well, only she knew what to do about it.

"Is something wrong, Marcus?" she asked.

Marcus put his fork down and looked up at Krystal. He sighed, then looked over at Falco.

"Falco? Is there any particular reason you came over?" he asked.

Falco put down the glass he had against his lips and looked at Fox and Krystal. He had a serious look in his eyes, one that he barely ever wore.

"You two didn't tell him, did you?" he asked.

Marcus was overcome by utter confusion.

"Tell me what?" he asked.

"If we did, he might have done something dangerous." Fox responded.

"Tell me what?"

"The kid's ten years old and you still haven't told him?" Falco retorted. "Come on! He'll be a man in a few years and…"

Something that Marcus had inherited from Fox was that he absolutely hated it when no one listened to him when he was talking.

"Tell me WHAT?" he half-shouted.

All eyes were on him. Marcus looked at his parents. He was clued in now.

"You guys are hiding something from me, aren't you?"

Fox slapped himself in the face.

"Somehow I knew you'd figure it out sooner or later." he muttered.

"Just because he's reckless doesn't mean he's stupid, Fox." Falco said, crossing his arms.

Krystal sighed.

"Yes, Marcus." she said. "We've been hiding something from you. Something that involves me, your father, Falco, and your grandfather."

Marcus sat up with his ears pricked.

"I'm listening."

Fox took Marcus' hand and began to tell him the story.

"Way back before you were born, your grandfather, James McCloud, ran a mercenary group named Star Fox. They were some of the bravest men out there. The team had three members: your grandfather, Peppy Hare and Pigma Dengar."

"Peppy? Wait, what does that have to do with you and Mom?"

'I was getting to that. But first, do you know who Andross is?"

"Wasn't he that brilliant scientist who got banished to Venom because the military thought that acid…neutralizer…thing was a weapon?"

"That's him. He got his revenge by conducting dangerous experiments on Venom, including mutating himself. Star Fox was assigned to investigate the surface for strange activity. But when they got there, Pigma betrayed them and handed Peppy and James over to Andross. Peppy managed to get away alright, but…"

A tear fell from Fox's eye. He couldn't bear thinking about his father's horrible fate. Krystal hugged him around him shoulders. She could sense his pain. It was unavoidable.

"So…THAT'S how Grandpa died? Andross murdered him?" Marcus asked.

As an excuse, Fox told Marcus that James and Vixy died in a hovercraft crash a few years before Marcus was born. He suspected that Andross had something to do with Vixy's death as well, but he didn't interrupt. His father already looked to be on the verge of tears, anyway.

Fox nodded and continued the story.

"I was eighteen when it happened. The night Peppy came to my dorm at the flight academy and told me that Dad was dead, I was so upset that I ran away from the academy and didn't go back."

"That's when he ran into me." Falco spoke up. "He was running down the street without looking where he was going and he plowed right into me. I was about to tell him to screw off, but when I saw how upset he was, I offered to let him stay with me at the motel downtown."

"When we got there, all I did was sit and stare out the window." Fox said. "I was so sad about my dad dying, but more than that I was furious at Andross. I wanted to do anything I possibly could to avenge my father's death. Then Falco gave me an idea: form a new team and go up against Andross. So I called Slippy and Peppy and asked them to become members of the team. Falco became the fourth member. Under General Pepper's orders, we launched a full-scale attack n Venom. I managed to get to the depths of the Venom labs…where I met that …..(Here Falco covered Marcus' ears so he didn't have to hear Fox use every curse word he knew to insult Andross) that killed my father."

"You mean…you killed Andross?"

"Shot him down in cold blood is more like it. Either way, I got rid of him."

"Okay. That explains why the name McCloud is so special. But where does Mom come into this?"

"About 8 years later, I was assigned to find relics called Spellstones to help reconstruct the planet Sauria. I met your mother in a temple called the Krazoa Palace. She was trapped in a life-absorbing crystal, but I managed to get her out."

Krystal smiled. "Your dad saved my life that day."

"So let me see if I've got this straight," Marcus said. "Grandpa founds Star Fox, Andross kills Grandpa, Dad recreates Star Fox, Dad kills Andross, and Dad saves Mom on that planet full of dinosaurs."

"That pretty much sums it up." Falco said.

"Wow! But…why aren't you in Star Fox now?"

Krystal was the one to speak this time.

"The day your dad and I got married, we were told to disband Star Fox by Wolf O'Donnell."

"The leader of Star Wolf?" Marcus asked.

"The very same."

"But…he's a wanted criminal! Everyone hates him! Why would Dad listen to him?"

"Your dad knew that he'd be putting you and me in danger if he stayed a member of Star Fox, so he took Wolf up on his offer."

Here Fox sighed again.

"But ever since I did that, the terrorism rate along the whole galaxy has gone through the roof."

Marcus slammed his fist on the table.

"So join back up! I mean, you got the job done every time, so why not?"

"Because you'd be put in danger. Besides, we were getting fed up with it anyway."

"But you're only…how old?"

"Forty-one and thirty-four. Star Fox piloting is a young man's game, sport."

Marcus angrily groaned, but grinned when he had an idea.

"A young man's game?...Then I'll do it!"

The adults choked on what they had in their mouths when those three words passed Marcus' lips.

"Marcus, you're only ten years old!" Krystal sputtered in a shocked tone. "You're not old enough!"

"Haven't you guys ever heard the legend of Soren Halen?"

Soren Halen (who was a human and not a Lylatian) had been one of the greatest heroes in the galaxy. It was said that he saved the planet Macbeth from a nuclear explosion when he was only eight years old and killed one of the two Gargantuan Eels of planet Zoness when he was ten. When he was thirteen, he had flown his ship to an unexplored sector past the planet Papetoon (where Fox had been born) and after that, no one ever saw him again. Some said he died, but most think he went back to the human home-world called Earth.

His motto had always been "Children are the key to the future."

"Besides, I'm a McCloud, aren't I?" Marcus said.

Fox grinned. To hear the words he had said four years ago used against him was awkward, yet satisfying at the same time.

"You may be as fearless as Halen himself." Fox said.

Krystal was shocked.

"Fox, don't encourage him!"

"Krystal, don't you remember when you always got worried when I tackled a mission on my own. I always came back okay, didn't I?"

"B-but he's still so young! What if he gets hurt? You don't think I want to see my only son get killed, do you?"

"Krystal." Fox said. He stared deep into her eyes. "He'll be alright."

Krystal thought, then smiled. If Marcus could save a girl from three street thugs on his own at age ten (as well as giving them a good ass-kicking while he was at it.), being a member of the Star Fox team would be a piece of cake.

She looked at Marcus.

"You're just like your father." she said to her son. "Bravery's in your blood. I could sense it even before you were born."

"Is that a yes?" Marcus asked.

His parents looked at each other, smiled, looked back at him and nodded. Marcus' face lit up.

"Yes! I love you guys!"

"Hold on there, speed racer!" Fox said before Marcus went running off. "You can form a new Star Fox team IF you can find your own teammates. After all, you can't go saving other people's lives on your own. That's not brave. In fact, it's actually really stupid."

"How about Chase and Anna? I mean, Chase can build or fix ANYTHING! He's even building a robot right now! And Anna could map the whole city in a half hour!"

"You still need a fourth teammate." Krystal said.

Marcus grimaced. If Chase and Anna weren't his only friends, making that decision would have been so much easier.

Once again, Falco decided to help Marcus out.

"I'll do it." he said suddenly.

All eyes were on him. Marcus' face was bright again.

"Really?"

"Sure! I've wanted to get back in that action for more than ten years now. Besides, you kids need some adult supervision."

The young McCloud was a little annoyed from being called a kid by the legendary Falco Lombardi (who was the most childish adult that Fox and Krystal knew) but right now, he couldn't care less.

"Alright." Krystal said. "Go call your friends and tell them to meet us at the airway in a half hour."

"Thanks, guys! You're the best!" Marcus said, hugging his parents and running to his room to grab the phone.

When Marcus was out of sight, Krystal looked at Fox.

"Do you think letting him make his own team is a good idea?" she asked him.

"Krystal, relax. Marcus is a born leader. Besides, Falco just promised that he'd take care of him, and his friends will make sure he doesn't get hurt."

"Should we have told him about the whole Kursed ordeal?"

"Believe me; he'll never wanna know about that. In fact, I don't think WE even wanna remember that."

They HAD eventually told Falco, Peppy, Slippy, Amanda, Lucy and Bill about Krystal's time as a terrorist, and they had sworn an oath not to speak of it to anyone.

"What about…Wolf's daughter?"

"Hopefully they never meet each other. If they do, they'll keep fighting until they're both dead."

Upstairs, Marcus grabbed his phone and called the Toad's house. Amanda picked up the phone.

"Hi, Mrs. Toad. Is Chase there?" asked Marcus.

"Yes, Marcus. He's in his room. One minute."

Marcus turned on another line and called the Grey's house. Anna picked up the phone.

"Hi, Marcus." she said.

"How goes it, McCloud?" asked Chase.

"First off, how's that robot comin', Chase?" Marcus asked.

"He's finished actually!"

"Really?" Anna asked. "Wow, I can't wait to see him!"

"What did ya call for, Mark?"

Marcus grinned.

"Guys, I know what we're gonna do today."

**30 minutes later**

"Star Fox? WE'RE gonna be in STAR FOX?" Chase asked excitedly when Marcus told him and Anna his idea.

The Greys, Toads, McClouds and Falco all met down at the Grand Cornerian Airway, where Marcus told the kids about his brilliant idea. Slippy, Amanda, Bill and Lucy seemed all for it. The thing that Marcus found out of place, however, was the cybernetic being that was following Chase. But even stranger was that it seemed to recognize Fox, Falco and Krystal.

"My old friends!" it said in a monotone voice. "How wonderful to see you again!"

"Old…friends?" Fox repeated.

"Wait a minute…ROB?" Krystal asked.

"Indeed. Young Chase Toad has reassembled me!" the cyborg said.

"I found ROB 64's old memory chip, rebuilt the basic shell, then I added some…nifty extra features and Voila!" Chase said. "Show 'em what you can do, ROB."

ROB started sprinting around the room at nearly the speed of sound, then ran up a wall, back-flipped off of it and transfigured his feet into rocket thrusters.

Chase flipped up a few virtual targets. The flying ROB locked on to the targets with his targeting system. Then he transfigured his arms into laser cannons and blasted all the targets at once.

"He's just as efficient before, now with weapons and more. I call him ROB 128!" Chase said.

"Chase…you're a genius!" Anna said.

"He gets it from his father." Amanda grinned, hugging her son.

"OK, then." Fox said. "On to business. Before you kids can start working as Star Fox pilots, you'll need to learn how to fly Arwings."

Chase, Marcus and Anna cheered.

Amanda, Slippy and Chase hopped inside the _Bullfrog_, while Anna, Lucy and Bill climbed in to a spare Arwing left in the corner. Falco sprinted off to the _Sky Claw_.

Krystal turned to Marcus.

"Before we get in, I want to give you something…because you've matured so much in so little time."

Krystal pulled a 2-foot long metal stick from behind her back. Marcus took it in one hand. Sensing a hand on it, the stick extended to 6 feet.

"Your magic staff!" Marcus exclaimed. "But…Mom, I can't take this from you! Dad used this to save you on Sauria."

Krystal stooped down and leveled her face with Marcus'.

"And now I'm giving it to you. You can have it because you're my son, and I know you'll use it well, just like your father did."

She smiled. Marcus smiled in return.

"Protect this staff and it will protect you." Krystal said.

"…okay."

Marcus stood in an empty space. He closed his eyes, inhaled, and exhaled. He snapped open his eyes, and using his own unique style, he swung the staff in beautiful movements like a flowing river.

Suddenly without warning, a fireball shot from the type. Marcus dropped the staff in surprise.

"That was just the Fire Blaster, sport." Fox said. "It's supposed to do that…of course, I haven't used that staff in 12 years, so that's probably all that works."

Marcus picked the staff up, smiled, and sheathed it.

"Okay! I'm ready!" he said.

The McClouds climbed inside the cockpit of the _Arwing II_. Marcus sat in front, Krystal in the middle and Fox in the took a second to figure out where the communicator was, then he turned it on.

"This is Marcus!" he said. "All aircraft report."

Falco's voice crackled on the speaker.

"Falco here. I'm fine."

"This is Chase! All systems go!"

"Anna here. I'm okay."

"Alright, team. Ignite engines and prepare for takeoff." Marcus ordered.

Marcus had no idea what he had just said, but he turned on the engines either way. He gulped and clutched the steering console. Krystal held Marcus' arms, and Fox held Krystal's.

"Hold on tight." Fox said.

The four Arwings slowly rose off the ground.

"Adjust G-Diffuser system output. Gravity: Average." Marcus ordered.

The engines started burning hotter.

"I am Marcus McCloud." Marcus thought. "I am the son of Fox and Krystal McCloud…I AM STAR FOX!"

Marcus, Chase, Anna and Falco pushed forward on the steering consoles. The four ships shot up out of the hangar door like bullets and flew up into the sky.

Fox and Krystal smiled at their son's success. He was doing it!

"YAAAAAHOOOOOO!"

**Across the galaxy...**

Coyote ran up the hillside of O'Donnell Valley leading to her house on the planet Fortuna. Her spiky ponytail flew through the wind as she quickened her pace. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her lungs were wheezing like mad, and her forehead was lined with sweat, but she kept running.

Now that she thought about it, she never would have made it back if it weren't for that blue-furred Cornerian boy. She was grateful, but she had run away before she could tell him her name. But then again, if she did, it might have blown her family's cover.

"I gotta admit, though, he was brave…and pretty cute, too." she thought.

Coyote forced the thought out of her head. She was getting all mushy again. Those stupid dreams of hers wouldn't come true if she just kept thinking about them. Sure, the boy could make a decent knight in shining armor, but she was pretty sure it was just a one-time encounter, anyway.

Though she certainly wouldn't mind seeing him again…there she went again!

"Shut up, brain! SHUT UP!" she told herself.

Coyote stopped at the front door of her enormous house. Her father had built the whole place with his bare hands, and even then, it was almost as glamorous as the ones on Corneria.

She opened the door and stepped inside.

"Mom! I'm home!" she called.

Lori Grey stepped into the room. When she saw Coyote standing there, she smiled.

"Hello, sweetheart." she said.

Lori turned and shouted up the hall.

"Coyote's home, dear!"

The tall, muscular figure of Wolf O'Donnell appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Welcome back." he said, smiling at the young girl looking up at him.

Coyote smiled in return. She ran up the stairs into Wolf's outstretched arms.

"Hi, Daddy." she said happily.

_Surprised? Hopefully not enough to deter you from waiting for the rest. See ya next update!_


	7. Women All Too Familiar

CHAPTER SEVEN

**Women All Too Familiar**

**October 23****rd****, 2053**

**Cornerian Air Space**

"Alright, team! Be ready…for anything and everything! Let's buckle down and show 'em what the new Star Fox is made of!" Marcus said in his matured, teenage voice.

Having been on Star Fox for six years now, Marcus, Chase and Anna were now sixteen years old. Marcus couldn't walk by any girl without her swooning, and he had turned into a bit of a smart-mouth. Chase's fedora still fit him and he was building bigger and better things. Falco had thrown his old motto in the mental dumpster and, believe it or not, was now a responsible adult (even though he didn't have a wife and kids to look after). Anna was now a tomboy who idolized punk rock legends like Joan Jett, and wore a sexy pink jumpsuit every time the team had a mission.

And for her, right now was the time to look hot.

The team had been alerted by Peppy that the Star Wolf team had been seen lurking somewhere in the atmosphere, most likely looking for a dogfight. The Star Fox team had been sent to check it out.

"If your parents could take 'em down, so can you." he had said. "They're complete pushovers at times like this."

"Finally! We're well-known enough to fight Star Wolf!" Marcus thought. "They're about to meet their REAL makers now!"

"Great. Just what I need: another visit from that lizard boy Leon." Falco muttered. He still had his sarcastic nature when it came to Star Wolf, and he still had the foulest mouth of the team.

"It's Panther that I'm worried about." Anna said. "He's got a Zapper for a cannon! God, that prick could take us down in seconds."

Anna had adopted Falco's mouth to make herself look cooler, and in the right moment, it seemed to work.

"Why are you worried? You're the one who's always hanging back and letting us do the dirty work." Chase chuckled.

"How big will that ego of yours get before you explode?"

"Jeez, it was just a joke!"

Anna spoke up again.

"They're supposed to have a new member, and I heard Wolf swapped himself out with someone else."

"That's still only four fighters, so we're evenly matched!" Chase said, trying to sound much braver than he really was. "We've got nothin' to worry about!"

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Chase!"

"You and those quotes of yours. What are you, a rabbit Confucius or something?"

"Hey, speaking of Star Wolf," said Falco. "Do you kids see 'em, 'cause I sure don't."

The four Arwings (each with customs emblems on them; Falco's being a falcon, Chase's a bullwhip, Anna's an electric guitar and Marcus' a clenched fist.) came to a stop.

"Anna, check the coordinates Peppy gave us." Marcus ordered.

Anna checked her monitor.

"This is the place where Grandpa said they were, but I don't see…MARK! LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!"

Anna wasn't normally the calmest person that Marcus knew (That was Krystal), but if she was shouting, it still meant trouble.

Marcus didn't need to be told twice. He used the steering console to perform a somersault and avoid getting smashed by a sleek, dark ship with four wings and red laser cannons.

"What the hell?" Marcus growled.

"So that old windbag sent a couple of children to fight us, eh?" a nasally voice said.

"Oikonny?" Falco stammered. "You idiots let this MORON back on your team?"

Andrew Oikonny was Andross' nephew. He had joined Star Wolf many years ago when they worked for Andross to follow in his uncle's footsteps and later rule over Venom. Eventually, he left Star Wolf behind to accomplish the goal by rallying the Venomian army, and then he assisted the Anglar Empire by piloting a giant robot called the Death Crab. Why he joined back up had to be a great mystery indeed.

Three more Wolfens (the _Black Rose_, the _Rainbow Delta_ and the _Iron Maiden_.) flew at the team.

"Watch what you say, vermin." a deep imposing voice said from the _Black Rose_ (which, as the name suggested, had a rose decal). Panther Caroso's voice.

"Vermin? Why, you little..." Falco growled.

Chase took notice of the _Rainbow Delta_'s pilot (whose ship had a bloody knife emblem): a lanky chameleon with a scar on one eye. Leon Powalski, the team's assassin. Leon took notice of Chase, too.

"The son of Slippy Toad, eh?" Leon cackled. "Let me ask you: how loud can you scream in terror when you're about to be deep-fried?"

He maniacally laughed.

"We'll see who has the last laugh when I'm done with you!" Chase retorted.

Marcus took notice of the _Iron Maiden_. It didn't look like any Wolfen he'd seen before (including the fact that it was stylized with metal umlauts and, like Anna's, had an electric guitar decal, only this one had more of an imposing look to it).

"And just who are you supposed to be?" Marcus asked.

The voice that replied was that of a teenage girl.

"I am Coyote O'Donnell. Which one of you is the son of Fox McCloud?"

"Uhh…I am." Marcus nervously replied. He knew right away that this girl wanted something with him, and it certainly wasn't his autograph.

The _Iron Maiden_ started barreling toward him.

"Prepare to die!" Coyote shouted.

Lasers shot from Coyote's cannons. Marcus dropped altitude to avoid being hit, then he slammed the boost pedal and flew away as fast as he could.

"Jeez, I barely said a thing and now she wants to beat my ass with that monstrosity!" he grumbled.

Panther began firing at Falco, who was desperately trying to shake off his pursuer.

"That's right, little bird! Fly away home!" Panther taunted.

"Oh, sure! I'll fly away! Eat my avian dust while I'm at it!" Falco shouted back.

He slammed on the boost and blasted away.

Coyote kept on Marcus like a fish to a hook, but the _Arwing III_ was much more agile than the _Iron Maiden_, so no matter how many times Coyote tried to hit Marcus, he somersaulted, barrel-rolled and dropped out of the way.

"You're washed out already?" Marcus mischievously shouted.

"Don't get uppity, you amateur!" Coyote shot back

"An amateur, am I?"

Marcus swerved around behind Coyote.

"How amateurish do you think THIS is?"

Marcus locked onto Coyote and fired a charged shot from his cannon. Coyote barrel-rolled and deflected it.

"Not bad…for trash!" she said.

"Trash belongs in the dumpster." Marcus retorted. "You, my friend, belong STRAPPED TO AN ELECTRIC CHAIR WITH HOT COALS DOWN YOUR THROAT!"

Coyote U-turned and shot back toward Marcus, who ducked and slammed the boost.

"Gotta keep up!" Marcus mocked.

Coyote growled.

"Filthy maggot! I'll blast you out of the sky!"

Marcus thought for a moment. That voice…it sounded so familiar.

"Wait…do I…know you?" he asked.

"Don't you fraternize with me, you scum!" Coyote shouted.

"Look who's talkin'!"

"Why do they always say 'scum'?" asked Anna. "Why not 'moron' or 'dumbass' or at least 'jerk' for crying out loud? Seriously!"

Anna was having a little more luck than the boys. It turned out Oikonny was a horrible pilot and he could just barely keep up with her.

"At least you've got guts, right?" Anna asked, smirking.

"W-watch your mouth! I'll show you!" Oikonny hollered back.

Oikonny targeted Anna and blasted at her several times. Anna dropped out of the way.

"Let's see how he likes this!" she thought.

Just as Oikonny came up behind her, Anna performed a somersault and put him in front of her.

"What the..." he stammered.

Anna charged her laser into a packed energy sphere and locked onto Oikonny's Wolfen.

"You wanna play rough? Okay! THEN SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!" she shouted before releasing the sphere.

The charged shot flew through the air at maximum velocity and collided with the Wolfen, frying its engines and sending it tumbling to the ground.

"Uncle Andross!" Oikonny screamed.

The ship hit the ground and exploded. He'd survive, but he wasn't getting out of there without a couple nasty bumps and bruises.

"Oh, yeah! This girl's got it all!" Anna cheered.

Panther halted next to her.

"Not bad. Make sure you don't lose that pretty little head of yours." he chuckled.

Anna flushed bright red. Just as she thought. Panther Caroso was such a pervert that he could even flirt with teenage girls.

"Shut up, you alley cat! Get a wife, get a girlfriend or at least don't be such a creep!" she shouted in response.

"Heh heh. SOMEONE gets pretty hot when they're angry."

Chase suddenly barreled out of nowhere and hit the _Black Rose_ with his Plasma Shot.

"And the Jackass Award goes to…PERVERT CAROSO! And the crowd goes wild!" Chase mocked, imitating crowd cheering

Panther growled.

"You little demon! I'm going send you home to your mother in a box!"

"Y'know, shooting me down would be both faster and easier, so you'd just be makin' more work for yourself."

Panther slammed his boost pedal and shot after Chase, when suddenly Falco zoomed out of nowhere and used a barrel roll to send Panther back a little way.

"You're in MY habitat, now, big shot! And let me tell ya, a pissed-off bird of prey can get pretty deadly!" he shouted.

"So you actually watch out for your friends now, Lombardi? That's a first." Coyote mocked.

"Hey! Shut your trap before I come over there and shut it or you!" Marcus yelled.

"Believe me; I ain't finished with you yet, McCloud!" Coyote shot back

"Come on! I'm right here if you can haul that piece of junk after me! Seriously, I could build a better ship than that!"

Chase breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't have long to rest because suddenly the _Rainbow Delta_ came at him.

"Stick to the pond, froggie!" Leon shouted.

Chase boosted away from his pursuer, but Leon was a much more experienced pilot than Panther and Oikonny, and he was certainly keeping him busy. Chase tried everything he had: dropping, somersaulting and barrel-rolling, but no matter what he did, Leon continued firing at him.

"Move it, Chase! He's right behind you!" Falco hollered.

"I can't shake him! Marcus, get this guy off me!"

Coyote was literally hell-bent on shooting down Marcus, so now was certainly not the time for multi-tasking.

"I'm a little busy up here!" he shouted. "Can you handle it on your own?

Chase was about to say something when Leon shot him again.

"NO I CAN NOT! GET THIS DIRTBAG OFF MY BACK!"

Marcus groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Don't start whining. I'm on it." he muttered.

He pulled out Krystal's staff (which he never went anywhere without) from his backpack, opened the cockpit door and shot a fireball at Leon. The flame pummeled the _Rainbow Delta_, giving Chase enough time to swerve around behind it.

"Aw, yeah! Who's the big man NOW, huh?" Chase said as he blasted Leon's ship, sending it plummeting to the ground.

Panther, meanwhile, had had it up to his ears with Falco dodging every one of his attacks.

"Come on! Be a man and fight!" Panther shouted.

"Look who's talkin', fleabag!" Falco shot back.

"You really think you're a match for me?"

"I try not to think. I just do."

"Then perhaps it's time for you to lie down and perish!"

Panther's ship crashed into the _Sky Claw_, which now had a dent in the left wing.

"You've done it now, kitty boy!" Falco shouted.

Falco hit the ejector seat button and launched himself at Panther's ship. He pulled out his twin laser blasters and shot at the windshield on the _Black Rose_. Panther became temporarily blinded by the light. When he could see again, Falco was standing on the windshield with his fist raised.

"Who's the vermin now, pal?" he said before smashing the windshield open.

Panther dove out of his ship and grappled Falco. As the two rivals fell through the sky, they each gave brutal punches to the other's head. Falco pushed off of Panther's chest with his feet, landed back inside the _Sky Claw_, closed the cockpit and swerved back up. Panther managed to get back into his ship, but he wasn't able to maneuver himself back up.

"I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, LOMBARDI!" he shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Falco mocked.

Last, but definitely not least, there was Coyote. She was fast. She was firing from every which way Marcus could imagine. If he didn't know any better, he would have said Coyote was the Grim Reaper and the _Iron Maiden_ was built by the devil.

Marcus U-turned to get around behind his pursuer. As he rocketed by, Coyote caught a split second glimpse of her enemy's face.

The blue and white fur...the tall pricked ears…and more importantly, the soul-piercing hazel eyes. She remembered who this boy was. Those eyes didn't lie.

"It's…you…" she whispered.

She shook out the thought. He was her enemy, so what he had done for her didn't matter. She'd kill him just the same…but why did it have to be him?

"C'mon, McCloud! Is that all you've got?" she bellowed.

"No way! I've still got a trick or two up my alley."

Marcus swerved up above the _Iron Maiden_ and flipped his ship upside down. Coyote looked up and panicked to see that she had nowhere to run.

"It's just a shame that you don't." Marcus mocked.

He slammed the ejector seat button and unsheathed his staff. He landed on top of Coyote's ship and stabbed the spear end through the engine.

Sparks went flying from the dashboard into Coyote's face.

"No! How could I lose to this…this…"

Marcus sheathed his staff.

"Yeah! Burn, baby, burn!" he shouted, laughing with triumph.

He jumped down into his Arwing waiting below.

"Say bye-bye to the rookie." he mischievously thought.

Coyote's lasers were disabled. Continuing the fight would be pointless. She growled.

"Damn…" she sighed. "I'm sorry, Dad…he got me."

The escape pods from Leon, Panther, and Oikonny's ships came up next to her. The other three Star Wolf members were certainly alive, but less than OK.

"Another crushing and ruinous defeat at the hands of our bitter rivals, it seems…" Panther muttered.

"Who'd of thought I could lose to a buncha kids?" Leon grumbled.

"And our ringleader certainly wasn't any help!" Oikonny whined.

Coyote got even more furious.

"Oh, shut up, Oikonny! At least I lasted for more than 2 minutes!" she retorted.

"Speaking of kids, Wolf must have been crazy to have HIS kid be the leader!" Leon mocked. "If only you had been a BOY!"

"Sadly for you, I'm not! You think keeping you jokers in check is easy? I'd like to see YOU try it, freak!"

"Who're you callin' a freak, you over-glorified furball?"

The Star Wolf team started arguing amongst themselves, while the Star Fox team all got awkward looks on their faces as they listened.

"This is more entertaining than a horror movie at midnight." Chase chuckled.

After a few seconds, Marcus got sick of these four idiots nattering at each other and just wanted them to get out of there so he and his team could go home. Finally, he decided to step in and break them up just for the hell of it.

"WOULD ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" he hollered.

They were silent.

"We get the point: we win, you lose. We rock, you suck. Deal with it!" Marcus said. "I'm sure you've all got better things to do than yell at each other like a buncha seagulls. Now if you'd be so kind as to leave so we can all get on with our lives!"

Coyote groaned in disgust.

"Star Wolf, retreat!"

The three escape pods flew away, and Coyote was about to pilot the _Iron Maiden_ away, when she said something to Marcus.

"You win for now, but the next me meet…you're mine."

Coyote's ship boosted away.

"Don't forget to tell your old man that he's still a douche!" Falco hollered after her.

"It's SO easy for them to get pissy with us." Chase grumbled.

"Yeah, but who really cares? We beat 'em to a pulp!" Anna cheered. "Now THAT'S something our parents are gonna be proud of."

Marcus seemed a little less than happy. That voice kept coming back to him…where had he heard it before?

"Mark, you OK, buddy?" asked Falco.

Marcus shook the thought out of his head.

"Uhh…yeah. I'm fine…just kinda zoned out for a second."

Marcus pulled himself together. At least he had the victory against Star Wolf to be happy about.

"If everyone's OK, then let's report back to Peppy."

The four ships shot off toward city hall.

**10:30 p.m.**

As Marcus lay in his bed that night, desperately trying to fall asleep, Coyote's voice kept coming back to him. How was it so familiar to him? Why did he even bother thinking about it? Why had she seemed so hell-bent on trying to kill him?

…And was he ever going to see her again?

Hopefully not.

The voice kept ringing in his ears, so Marcus flushed it out by shouting in his head.

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"

The voice stopped. Marcus slammed his eyes shut and almost immediately fell asleep, but as he did, he began to dream.

**Dreaming...**

Marcus shook his head and looked around the environment. It was dark. He couldn't see the ceiling, floor or the walls.

"OK, this is already creepy. I better get outta here before something bad happens." he thought.

He tried to get up, but he realized that his limbs were strapped down to a metal table. And no matter how hard he squirmed, he was stuck there.

"Great. That's just great." he groaned.

Suddenly, a chill ran up his spine. He had a sickening feeling that something…evil was watching him. He turned his head. A shady figure was coming toward him out of the darkness. Its slim, hourglass figure gave away the fact that it was a woman. But it wasn't any woman that he knew.

"Whoever you are, untie me right now!" Marcus shouted at the figure.

The figure chuckled. She stepped into the light, allowing Marcus to see her form. She looked about a few inches taller than him. She was wearing a very revealing outfit made of black leather. Most of her fur was navy blue, while her hair was dark violet. It also was very long and hung down over one eye. Her eyes themselves were blood red and shining almost demonically.

"Who…who are you?" Marcus asked.

The woman smiled, almost salaciously.

"Don't you recognize me, Marcus?" she asked.

"How do you know my name?"

"Why wouldn't I know my own son?"

Marcus was shocked. Whoever this woman was, she certainly wasn't Krystal…though she DID look a little like her. She also sounded a bit like her, too, but without the British accent.

"You're not my mother!" he screamed.

"Don't lie to yourself, Marcus." Kursed whispered. "There's no denying it. Didn't you ever think for once that within Krystal, there might have been something so horrifying that it would give you nightmares 'till the day you died? Well, you're looking at it."

"But…my mother is kind and caring! She'd never hurt anyone!"

"She would, long before you were born. I'm a shadowy reflection of Krystal. In fact, I'm a part of her. I grew stronger from her hate for your father…she loved me, but she hated him…just as much as I do now."

Kursed gently ran her hand down Marcus' cheek. He shivered. Her skin was as cold as ice.

"You, on the other hand, are something that I want. I could care for you in ways that Krystal never could. More importantly, I can grant you power beyond your wildest dreams if I so choose."

She had what looked like a lustful look on her face.

"And if I know your type at all, that's something that you want very badly." she said

"I don't need power! And my mother doesn't hate my father! They love each other like Adam loved Eve, and I'm the proof of that love!"

Kursed slapped Marcus across the face.

"Haven't you learned to respect your elders yet? Such a pitiful excuse for a son."

Marcus couldn't take it anymore.

"All right, that's it! My ass is outta here!" he said in a panicked tone.

Summoning all of his strength, he broke the bonds that held him down, jumped off the table and ran away as fast as he could.

Or rather, he TRIED to run away, but he looked down and saw that he was only running on the spot.

"Come on, don't do this now." he said fearfully. "I'm in a tight enough spot already!"

Kursed walked toward him menacingly.

"Don't run away from your mother, you fool. You don't honestly think you can escape from me, do you?"

Hearing that claim again infuriated Marcus beyond belief.

He turned around, raised his fist and shouted, "YOU'RE! NOT! MY! MOTHER!"

He threw a heavy punch at Kursed's chest, but with lighting fast reflexes, she caught his hand.

"So you decide to fight back." she said. "Alright, then. Have it your way."

Using a superhuman throw, Kursed seized Marcus' neck and threw him backward, screaming.

Suddenly, Marcus was trapped inside a gigantic crystal. He couldn't move. He couldn't see. And worst of all, he couldn't breathe.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" he screamed in a raspy, choked voice.

"Now you feel your mother's pain…locked inside what your father saved her from." Kursed said.

She chuckled.

"But who's here to save you?"

Just then, Marcus heard Krystal's voice.

"Marcus!"

**Awakening...**

Marcus yelped and snapped his eyes open. Moonlight spilled in from the window on to his shirted chest. Krystal was leaning over him in her tank top and jeans that she wore to bed.

"Mom…what happened?" Marcus asked.

"You were having a nightmare. Is everything alright?"

The dream had really bothered Marcus, and talking about it was the least he could do.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. You can ask me anything."

Marcus sighed and sat up

"Was there a time when…you hated Dad?"

Krystal's face grew serious.

"So it was about Kursed, then?"

"…if that's her name…yeah."

Krystal sat down on Marcus' bed.

"About 19 years ago, your father told me that he and I couldn't be together anymore and that he didn't want me to be on the Star Fox team. When I asked him why, he didn't answer. He just said good-bye and left. I don't know what came over me, but I grew furious…I wanted to hurt him. So I ran away from Corneria and became a bounty hunter named Kursed. But about two months into that, people started insulting me, calling me a traitor because I left your father. Suddenly, I grew so angry that…I attacked them…..it….felt good. So I built a gigantic starship and became a terrorist."

"That's horrible! But…why did you come back?"

"A little while later, your dad landed his Arwing in my starship. The guards took him prisoner and brought him to me…and…"

A tear fell from Krystal's eye.

"I tried to kill him. But when he managed to tell me why he left me, I understood. He just feared for my safety."

"So you came back to Corneria."

"Yes. Then your father realized that there was nothing more for him and I to fear…so we got back together…and eventually got married."

"Now there's only Krystal."

"Yes." Krystal smiled. "Because now, you and your father…you're my whole world…the only two people I live for."

"Heh." Marcus smirked. "Thanks, Mom."

If Marcus had been like any other kid, he would have been mad at Krystal for doing something so bad. But Marcus had always known that she'd had a troubled life until she married Fox, so he could forgive her for just about anything.

Suddenly, Marcus grimaced.

"What's wrong?" Krystal asked

"I feel like such a baby."

They both burst out laughing. He may have felt like a baby, but he certainly felt a lot better now that he had someone to talk to. He was one of those teenagers that still talked to their parents when they didn't feel good about themselves.

"Guess I better hit the sack now." Marcus said.

"Good-night." Krystal said. "You may be a big boy now, but you'll always be my little angel."

She smiled and closed the door as she left the room. Marcus turned over on his bed. He wasn't afraid, but that horrible figure still kept coming back to his imagination. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think about anything else.

How could he have a nightmare about something he didn't know existed? Anyone with common sense knew that that just wasn't possible. And why had it been Kursed? He hadn't even known who she was a few minutes ago.

After a few minutes of tossing and turning, Marcus fell asleep on the fact that had presented itself: Kursed was dead…

….wasn't she?


	8. Run for the Hills!

CHAPTER EIGHT

**Run for the Hills!**

**October 25, 2053**

**McCloud's House**

Marcus woke up bright and early on Saturday morning, raring to get going on a day all to himself. Usually he'd call Chase and Anna and have them over or something of that nature, but today, he felt like he needed complete isolation from anyone but his parents.

He got out of bed, opened his closet door and changed into a pair of denim jeans and a T-shirt with the Star Fox emblem printed on it. He went out into the hall, slid down the banister and jogged into the kitchen. Fox sat at the table, reading a newspaper, while Krystal stood in front of the stove, frying something in a pan.

"And how are we this morning?" Marcus said, smugly grinning

Fox looked up with a grin on his face.

"SOMEONE seems energetic today." He said, chuckling.

"Never been better." Marcus stretched a little before continuing. "I swear nothing could bring ME down today."

Or so he thought. Right after he finished his sentence, his pager went off.

Marcus groaned. The only time his pager rang was when he had a mission.

"You've gotta be freakin' kidding me!"

Marcus really didn't want to go anywhere or do anything today, but he answered the pager just the same. A holographic image of Chase's head appeared.

"Don't tell me: mission time, right?" Marcus asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Err…yeah." Chase said.

The hologram disappeared and Marcus pocketed the pager.

"Dammit! It had to be on a Saturday." he said angrily.

He turned to his parents.

"Duty calls."

"Don't lose heart, sport." said Fox. "After all, it's for the best."

"Try to get back in one piece, okay?" said Krystal.

Marcus smirked.

"You guys worry about me too much."

45 minutes later

Marcus parked his hovercraft outside the Grand Cornerian Airway and walked inside. The _Great Fox MK III_ (a more streamlined version of the ship that both Slippy and Chase worked on together as a father-son bonding experience.) already had its engines ignited.

Marcus stepped underneath the ship. A long, tractor beam appeared and warped him inside. Chase, Anna, Falco and ROB were waiting for him at the bridge.

"So what's the biz, guys?" Marcus asked.

"Here, I'll show ya." Chase said.

Chase turned around and booted up the hologram device. An image of planet Fichina appeared.

"We received a recon probe from Fichina." Chase began. "Its sender is unknown, but whoever it is, they're claiming that the climate control center down there is malfunctioning. I'm pretty sure you already know this, but that center is what keeps the daily blizzards down there in check. If the center's offline, those blizzards will get outta control."

"That's where we come in." Anna spoke up. "We're gonna go down there and see what the damage is. The problem is we can't fly the _Great Fox_ down there because there's a Venomian nuclear base near the control center. We'd be spotted before we got anywhere near landing there."

"And your point is?" Marcus asked.

"My recommendation is that one of us goes alone to inspect the base. It'll be easier to sneak around that way."

"Let me guess: you want me to do it."

"Kinda. Yeah."

"I don't know about this, kids." Falco said. "The last time we got an SOS signal from an unknown source was during the Aparoid invasion. Turns out Pigma Dengar sent it to steal a Core Memory from us and make a quick buck."

"Falco, when's the last time YOU were cautious about ANYTHING?" Chase asked.

Falco shut his mouth.

"Fan-freakin'-tastic…except you forgot something." Marcus spoke up, faking thinking it over. "What was it now? C'mon, it's on the tip of my tongue…I can't go down THERE wearing THIS!"

The others glanced at his clothes.

"Yeah, about that." Chase replied. "We took the liberty of making a suit that'll protect you from the cold."

He pulled a very thick jacket and cargo pants out from behind his back and threw it to Marcus.

"Try it on! It fits like a glove!"

Marcus slipped the outfit on. Chase wasn't lying. He felt as though he were in a toaster when he wore the suit.

"OK, if everyone's ready, prepare for liftoff!"

Each team member jumped into a seat and buckled themselves down.

Marcus looked around the inside of the giant starship. There were almost 30 years of history in these walls…30 years of brave men and women who fought for the safety of others. And by taking up his place as the leader, Marcus was continuing the legacy started by his grandfather and made into legend by his father.

Marcus clenched his fist. He wasn't going to let his dad (or anyone else) down…not while he led Star Fox.

The _Great Fox_ slowly floated into the air and out of the airway.

"ROB, when we make it to the mesosphere, be prepared to jump to light speed.

"Affirmative." ROB replied.

In under a minute, the _Great Fox_ was in Outer Space.

"5 seconds to light speed." ROB said.

"Let's bring it to 'em, gang." Marcus said.

Chase weighed his hat down with his hand.

"…3…2…1…LAUNCH."

The _Great Fox_ shot forward for about 2 seconds and suddenly stopped. During those 2 seconds, the fur (or, in Falco's case, feathers) stood on end. The pure white planet of Fichina lay in front of them.

"Operation Center Recovery is under way." Anna said.

**On the planet...**

Marcus squinted to see through the harsh snow whipping across the Fichina sky. It wasn't as rough Anna said it was…in fact, it was even worse!

He had just barely managed to land his Arwing on a small plateau about ten kilometers from the climate control center. Unfortunately, he didn't see that he had landed near the nuclear base until he hopped out of his ship.

"Great. If there's one thing I suck at more than flirting with a girl, it's sneaking around." Marcus muttered.

Marcus' communicator crackled. Chase could be heard.

"Looks like you landed near the nuclear plant by accident." he said.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, no freakin' duh! Just tell me how to get to the control center without being spotted."

"Well, that might be bit of a problem. There's several guards patrolling the area. You should be lucky that they haven't seen you already. Try finding something to hide behind."

"In simple terms, be stealthy, which I suck at." Marcus grumbled after he had turned off the communicator.

He flipped up the hood on the Thermal Jacket, carefully ran over to one of the plant's walls and hid behind it. Peeking around the corner, Marcus saw several Venomians (hideous monkey-like creatures) were parading around toting machine guns.

Marcus spotted one about 10 feet away. Crouching down, he snuck over to the guard. When he was standing right behind him, he stood up, covered the Venomian's mouth and hit him on the back of the head.

The Venomian fell down unconscious. Marcus dragged him behind a wall and left him there. He looked around and realized it would take all day to knock out the rest of the guards. Darting his eyes around, he spotted a ladder leading to a catwalk about 20 feet off the ground. He climbed up the ladder and cautiously peeked over the top. There were guards up there, as well.

Marcus looked to the right and spotted what looked like a cardboard box lying a few feet away from him.

"Uhh…not the wisest cover…but sure." he thought.

He took the chance anyway. He made sure no one was looking, climbed up the ladder, crawled over to the box and hid underneath it. While the guards weren't looking, he edged the box (and himself) to the other side of the walk.

**One shameless Metal Gear ripoff later...**

It had certainly taken long enough, but sneaking around inside the cardboard box had managed to get Marcus to the center without getting spotted. Marcus pushed the box off of him and opened the door to the control center. The blizzard had died down a bit, making it easier for him to see.

Marcus flipped down the hood. Even so, the center felt like an oven in the core of a gigantic snowball.

"OK, guys. I'm at the center." Marcus said into his comm. "Do you copy?"

Chase's voice crackled.

"We're reading you loud and clear, Mark. Have a look at the central control unit. There should be a computer on it somewhere."

Marcus walked around to the other side and spotted the computer. "Yeah, I see it."

"Log in with username: Climatemaintenance. Password: 607_J8E"

Marcus typed in the username and password and hit the Enter button.

"OK. Now what?"

"Click on 'My Computer.' There should be a thumbnail called 'System Repair.'"

Marcus scrolled over the icon with the mouse and clicked on it. The he found System Repair and clicked on that.

"There's a button that says 'Repair'. Click on that."

Marcus clicked on the button. A window appeared onscreen.

"Uhh…this is just a guess, mind you, but I think something's wrong." he said.

"What's the window say?" Chase asked.

"'System 100% stable. Repair not required.'"

"That means it's working just fine. Why would anyone send us here if there's nothing wrong with the…wait a minute."

Marcus thought over the situation. He got a horrible sinking feeling when he found the answer.

"Damn it! I've been duped!"

"Get back to your Arwing before something goes screwy!" Chase shouted.

Marcus activated the remote control for his ship and ran for the door.

"I copy THAT!"

He ran outside. His Arwing was ten feet away when suddenly…

…a small rocket flew out of nowhere and it exploded in mid-air!

Marcus was thrown backward into a wall. He shook the stars out of his eyes and groaned.

He couldn't believe it. He, Marcus James McCloud, was being ambushed!

"There you are, McCloud!" shouted a very familiar female voice.

Marcus looked at the top of the control tower. Coyote was standing on it…with a rocket launcher in her hand!

"Oh, great." Marcus muttered.

"Now hold still so I don't make a mess!" she hollered, aiming the gun at him.

Marcus' eyes darted left and right until he saw what he was looking for: a land-speeder. Coyote fired the gun. Marcus dove out of the way and hopped on the speeder. He ignited the engines and sped away, but not before flipping up his middle finger at Coyote and shouting, "Go to hell!"

Coyote jumped down from the tower and growled.

"You can't escape me, you stupid brat!"

She hopped on another speeder and drove after him. Marcus took in several small breathes as he switched gears on the speeder. He remembered that there was a Cornerian recon post about 50 kilometers away from his current position. If he could get there before Coyote caught up with him, he could use one of the military ships to get back to the _Great Fox_.

Marcus heard Falco's voice over the wind rushing past him as he sped across the snowy plain.

"Mark, what the hell is going on down there?"

"I'm headed for the recon post. O'Donnell ambushed me! I just managed to lose her, but…'

"I'M STILL HERE, MCCLOUD!" Coyote shouted.

Marcus looked back and saw that Coyote was 20 feet behind him and gaining.

"Oh, crap! I'll call you back!" he shouted into the comm before turning it off.

He looked back at Coyote and grinned.

"Catch me if you can, wisenheimer!"

He shifted gears and picked up speed. Coyote growled.

"A wisenheimer, am I?"

Coyote pulled out a laser blaster and started firing at Marcus. Marcus, in response, pulled out his staff and started shooting fireballs at Coyote. This, of course, removed his eyes from where he was going. When he looked back, he flew right over a hill and landed with a thud that nearly knocked him off.

Escape seemed nearly impossible. No matter how many times he shifted gears, Coyote was still right on his tail, and turning around and taunting her was helping, either.

Marcus looked ahead and saw something that nearly made him fall off his speeder: a drop-off. Coyote had forced him to flee up a mountain. The mountains of Fichina were well over 1000 feet in height. No one who fell off them ever survived. Seeing what little choice he had, Marcus sheathed his staff and jumped away from the speeder. He landed with his head stuck in the snow, while the speeder went flying off the cliff. For a few seconds, Marcus was stuck rapidly flailing his arms and legs until his head popped out of the snow.

"OK, McCloud." he said to himself. "Shake it off. Shake it off. It's just snow."

Marcus looked up and saw Coyote still coming on her speeder.

"What a buncha sh…wait a sec." he thought.

Marcus saw that Coyote wasn't even paying attention to him. He saw the panic in her eyes as she tried to stop the speeder. Suddenly, she swerved off to the right and fell off the speeder. Without the equipment to keep a proper foothold, she went sliding toward the cliff, screaming.

Marcus didn't know what to do. He heard a serious voice in his head.

"You're not just gonna let her die, are you?" it said. "C'mon! You're the leader of Star Fox! You're SUPPOSED to save lives."

Then another voice came, this one sounding like a laidback dude.

"Hey, don't bother, man! She tried to kill you…TWICE! Don't save the chick that wants you dead!"

Marcus frowned when he heard that voice.

"What are you, nuts?" he said.

Marcus didn't know what he was thinking, but he got on his stomach and started sliding toward Coyote. Just as she went off the edge of the cliff, he grabbed her hand. His arm started straining.

"Good Lord, she's heavy!" he thought.

Marcus got to his knees and summoning all of his strength, he pulled Coyote up. The force was so strong that she landed on top of him.

"Are you OK?" Marcus asked in a dazed tone.

Coyote was about to answer when she caught sight of Marcus' eyes.

She stared at him, almost lovingly. His gaze had hypnotized her...AGAIN!

"Uhh…hellOOOO? Anyone in there?" Marcus said.

Coyote shook her trance out. Marcus could now get a good look at her face. It was the girl he rescued from the street thugs when he was ten.

"You…you saved me…why? I'm…I'm trying to kill you." she stammered.

"A true hero saves his enemies as well as his friends." Marcus said.

Anna's quotes could break the ice from time to time.

"…thank you.'

"Uh…would you mind getting off of me?"

Coyote looked down and that she was still lying on top of him.

"Sorry." she sheepishly said.

They both stood up. Now they both couldn't help but stare at each other.

Coyote's face looked almost the same as when Marcus first met her, only now she was wearing smoky eye shadow and a bit of eye liner. The jumpsuit she was wearing was made of the same material as Anna's, only her's was black and…slightly more skin-tight. Some of her hair hung down over her left eye. Her eyes themselves were deep blue. All in all, she had a bit of a gothic look to her, but she was still twice as appealing as any girl Marcus had ever seen simply because her look was so unique.

For a second, Marcus felt like his nose was going to start bleeding if he kept staring at her slim, perfect hourglass figure

"Wow, she's certainly grown!" Marcus thought.

"He's even braver than before…God, this guy is so damn cute I could just…" Coyote thought.

Twice Marcus had saved Coyote from complete devastation, and twice she hadn't returned the favor. She wanted to thank him in ways neither of them could even BEGIN to imagine, but she thought of one right away and used it.

"Truce?" she asked, holding out her hand.

Marcus just stared at it. If there was one thing everyone knew, it was that the O'Donnell family were some of the sneakiest people ever born. One minute they were guarding you with their life, the next they left you for dead.

…that is, if THEY weren't the ones trying to kill you.

But Coyote's gun had gone over the cliff, and she didn't have her father's claws…at least, it didn't look like she did.

She smirked.

"Come on! I don't bite…much."

Marcus smirked. Something about the way she was smiling at him made him feel like she'd spend the whole day with him if she could.

"Alright."

He took her hand.

"Truce."

Marcus scratched the back of his head.

"And…sorry about calling you a crazy bitch the other day…AND about the electric chair and hot coals thing."

Coyote giggled.

"That's OK. It WAS kinda funny when you said it like that. I gotta admit; you've got good delivery."

"And your ship…it's actually REALLY cool."

"Aww, thank you!"

She didn't even need to ask. From the look in his eyes, Coyote could tell that Marcus had remembered her.

The two started trekking back down the mountain, all the while talking.

"So…uh…why were you trying to kill me, anyway?" Marcus asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Coyote replied. "Our fathers hate each other."

"Oh, yeah. But is that the only reason?"

"Basically, yeah. I don't know why they hate each other, but my dad's supposedly always trying to be better than your dad. One way to do that was for me to fight you and win…which, as we both know, ain't gonna happen. I'm no where near as experienced…or patient as you."

"Well, that explains a lot. But we don't have to fight, y'know. I mean, we don't have to suffer because of our parents' rivalry. We can still be friends, right?"

Coyote's face fell somewhat.

"Yeah…friends…"

Marcus looked at her.

"What…you don't want to?"

Coyote rolled her eyes.

"Don't be stupid. Of course I do!"

She was hiding her real thoughts, but she didn't dare to mention them now. It would be too embarrassing.

"Even if we don't fight, that isn't going to stop Wolf and Fox from fighting. Besides, my dad is probably just gonna send me after you again, anyway." she said, grimacing.

"Hey, it's not your fault. But if you want their rivalry to end, you're gonna have to start saying no to your dad."

Coyote nodded.

"Yeah, you're right…do you have a ride home?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure it's…" Marcus started, but stopped in his tracks, turned around and glared at her. "Right at the intersection of BLOWN and UP!"

Coyote blushed.

"Heh heh…oops."

Then she got an idea.

"I'll take you back to the _Great Fox_ in my ship."

Marcus' head snapped up.

"The _Iron Maiden_? Are you crazy?"

"If you just explain what happened, I'm sure your team will let it slide. I'll just tell my dad that you got away before I could catch you."

Marcus didn't really have much of a choice. He didn't have a ship to fly, and the recon post was too far away to get to on foot. He'd freeze to death before he'd make it.

"OK, I'll ride with you…if we make it back alive!"

He pointed at a group of Venomian guards sprinting at them.

"Son of a..!" Coyote growled.

Marcus pulled out his laser blaster, set it to Stun and tossed it to Coyote. Then he unsheathed his staff.

"Who the hell are you?" one of the guards barked.

Marcus stood in a defensive position with the staff.

"Give me YOUR name and I'll give you mine!"

The other guard rolled his eyes.

"Don't give us that bullcrap! Get your hands where we can see 'em! Both of you!"

Coyote and Marcus aimed their weapons at the guards.

"Back off, Diddy Kong!" Coyote shouted.

"Diddy Kong? What kind of insult is that?" Marcus asked.

"Sorry, that's the best I've got."

Nevertheless, the guards kept coming.

The two teenagers sprinted, cart wheeled away from the bullets that the Venomians fired, and shot off their weapons. The blasts put them on the ground in seconds.

When the two made it back up to the nuclear plant, Coyote tapped a few buttons on her armlet. Her ship came flying toward them.

"OK, do you guys copy EVERYTHING from us?" Marcus asked.

"Beats me. I'm not the technical genius."

"Then who is?"

"I think it's Leon…but it might be Oikonny. I dunno. I'm too klutzy to hold a wrench without fumbling it."

The ship landed a few feet away from them. Just as they started running for the ship, a massive bulldozer came barreling at them from the plant.

"Go!" Marcus shouted. "I'll hold him off."

Coyote hesitated, and then ran towards the _Iron Maiden_. The dozer was massive, about 25 feet in height. Marcus suddenly felt a rumbling in his hand. The staff was glowing and vibrating. Just as the bulldozer came close to flattening Marcus, the staff shot an immense amount of water vapor from the back end, sending Marcus into the sky.

"OH MY GOD!" he screamed as he flew 50 feet into the air.

He landed feet-first on top of the dozer. The driver came up on top of the vehicle and pulled out a knife.

Marcus raised an eyebrow at him, then showed him the staff.

"Seriously?" he asked before smacking the driver in the face and sending him tumbling off the dozer.

Marcus spotted a large fuel tank that seemed to be linked to the entire plant. He jumped inside the cab of the dozer and turned on his comm.

"Coyote, you see that fuel tank?" he called.

"Yeah, I see it. Why?"

"Shoot it!"

Coyote shot the tank. It didn't overtly damage it, but it DID cause it to spring a leak.

"When I give the signal, I want you to shoot the dozer with your second artillery!"

"But you're still in there!"

"Just trust me!"

Marcus flipped up a lever and started driving the dozer toward the plant. When he was about 20 feet away, he left it in Drive and jumped out of the cab.

"NOW!" Marcus shouted.

Coyote hit a red button above her head, and a small missile came firing out of her cannon. The missile slammed into the dozer's fuel reserve and set it on fire.

"Marcus…you…are a genius." Coyote said when she figured out what he had planned.

"No time to gawk at it!" Marcus shouted. "Pick me up!"

Coyote flew her ship down close enough to the ground for Marcus to grab the wing and climb into the cockpit.

"Now hit the boost and let's get our butts outta here!"

Coyote slammed the boost and the _Iron Maiden_ flew up into the atmosphere just as the flaming dozer collided with the leaking fuel reserve. The explosion from the tank started a chain reaction, and within seconds, nothing was left of the base except bits of debris.

**Back on familiar territory...**

The _Iron Maiden_ landed in the hangar bay of the _Great Fox_. Marcus hopped out.

"So will I see you again?" he asked.

Coyote grinned. "You never know. Catch you later."

She slyly winked at him before closing the cockpit door and flying out of the open door.

Marcus felt woozy and mesmerized. He'd never been that close to a girl before except for Anna, so believe it or not, he was shy and purely entranced. He could swear that someone in his head was playing a sexy tune on a saxophone.

Suddenly, he came to his senses and started hitting his head with his hand.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

The saxophone was replaced by a short record skip, then nothing.

"What am I doing?" Marcus muttered. "I may be a teenager, but still!"

He shook the thought out of his head and walked toward the command bridge. When he got there, Falco, Chase and Anna were waiting for him.

"You're alive!" Chase exclaimed.

"Of course I'm alive, you knucklehead!" Marcus replied. "I'm a McCloud, after all."

"What happened?" asked Anna. "You mentioned O'Donnell on the comm."

"And what was that huge explosion down there?" asked Falco.

"I…I ran into Coyote." Marcus replied.

'And?" asked Chase.

"I saved her life."

The other Star Fox members were taken aback.

"YOU saved a Star Wolf member?" asked Anna.

"And I think she likes me."

He really shouldn't have mentioned that last part.

Chase nearly passed out, Anna gasped and Falco had to hold on to a chair to keep himself from falling over.

"Oh, no, no, no, no!"Chase exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Marcus asked.

"Do you have any idea how bad that it is? She's Wolf O'Donnell's daughter! Who knows what she could do to you!"

"I know that! But…what if I like her back?

Chase slapped Marcus across the face.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Marcus said, rubbing his smarting cheek.

"Work with me here! Whatever relationship you've got going on with that chick, you gotta end it! I've seen her type before. That's the kind of girl that'll get close to you, lure you into bed, make you feel safe and WHAM! You're toast, my friend, you're a sitting duck!"

Anna crossed her arms.

"Seriously, have you ever even…talked to a girl?" she asked.

Chase flushed bright red.

"She's got a point. Are you SURE you didn't get that out of some random horror movie?" Falco asked.

Chase sighed.

'Alright, whatever. Just don't let your guard down."

Falco stepped forward.

'Now, the explosion?"

"We blew up the nuclear base. So if you wanna get technical about it, she helped us all out."

Falco's eyes widened.

"Damn, you're not as gentle as you look…but then you couldn't be."

Marcus rolled his eyes. Since Corneria was currently at war with Venom, it was best to do as much damage to the opposing army as you could. If you wanted to do that, you needed to get your licks in anyway you could. Blowing up a nuclear base was one of them. The biggest lick would be to kill the leader. They would do that if they even knew who (or where) he or she was.

"Ok, enough. You guys know I can't stand getting nagged."

Marcus turned to ROB.

"ROB, set course for home. I think I've had enough action for one day."

"Affirmative."


	9. Taking Out the Trash

CHAPTER NINE

**Taking Out the Trash**

**October 28, 2053**

**Eco-Dock, Planet Zoness**

"Urgh!" groaned Anna. "This planet is disgusting, even for me!"

Zoness was best known as the filthiest planet in the Lylat System because its waters were heavily polluted with nuclear waste. At one time, this planet had looked almost like Aquas, as they were both covered in water. There was one big difference: Aquas' waters weren't a sickly greenish-yellow color.

"I hear ya, Anne." Falco said, covering his nostrils. "Woowhee!"

"I wouldn't live here even if you paid me a million clams!" Marcus muttered.

The Star Fox team had been assigned to reactivate the ventilation system on the ocean floor. While it was running, every bit of nuclear waste was ventilated into pure salt water. But when Andross attacked the Lylat System almost thirty years ago, it had somehow stopped working, causing the nuclear waste to build up until it chemically bonded with the water.

Chase slipped on a pair of work gloves, filled a vial with a bit of the polluted water and inserted it into an analysis machine.

Several loud beeps were heard from the machine.

"20% oxygen, 15% hydrogen, 25% carbon, 5% methane and 40% liquid uranium." Chase concluded. "A very mixed-up and deadly compound."

"Which means?" asked Falco.

"Not only is this water toxic, but it's radioactive, too. One touch will cause severe burns, partial paralysis…maybe even permanent mutation or, worst case scenario being you fall in and get your whole body drenched, death."

"And we have to clean this entire place up WITHOUT touching that gunk." Anna groaned. "Perfect. Just perfect."

"The vent's on the ocean floor." Falco grumbled. "How do we reactivate it if we can't even get down there?"

Marcus grinned and turned on his comm.

"ROB, deploy the _Blue Marine_!"

An area in front of the dock flashed. When the light faded, the _Blue Marine_ drifted in the water.

"A brief warning." ROB stated. "The _Blue Marine_ is not properly built for use in polluted waters. You may experience a total power failure if you are submerged for too long, and the targeting system will cease to function."

"Hey, relax. I come from a family of sure-shots." Marcus bragged.

He opened the hatch at the top of the submarine and climbed down the ladder.

"You guys keep the skies clear. Those Venomians are probably gonna get really up on my case about the Fichina thing if they catch me."

Marcus shut the hatch door. The entire submarine was dark. Marcus hit a button and turned on all the neon colored lights in the machine. He flipped open another hatch and pressed a button. The _Blue Marine_ rumbled to life.

"Engines ignited."

Marcus tapped a few buttons above his head. A screen appeared.

"Sonar is online. Air pressure A-Okay."

Marcus sat in the seat and clutched the steering console.

"Beginning my submersion."

The submarine sank into the depths of the ocean. The windshield blocker slid off. Even though he was only 30 feet below sea level, Marcus couldn't see a thing.

"C'mon, lights! Stupid lights!" he grumbled, smacking the metal frame with his palm.

The headlights switched sight Marcus could see now wasn't pretty.

There was no sign of marine life anywhere, and the ocean floor was covered with corroded animal bones. The water itself was still the revolting greenish-yellow color of vomit.

"Guys, it's even worse under the surface!" Marcus said into his comm.

"And Fox always wondered why I stayed in the sky." Falco started. "Well…that says it all. So I don't have to deal with THAT kind of bullshi…"

"Anyway," Marcus interrupted before Falco could finish his curse word. "Anna, gimme the ventilation system's coordinates and this mission is underway."

"It's a little sketchy," Anna said. "But here's what we've got. It should be coming up on your sonar right about…now."

Marcus checked the sonar. A blinking dot labeled "228 S, 18 E" was onscreen.

"Yep, I got it. Let's get going."

The _Blue Marine_ slowly sank deeper into the grime-filled waters. As Marcus went deeper, the water got darker.

"Skies are clear up here." Falco said to Marcus.

Marcus pulled the steering console over to avoid crashing into a huge hunk of oxidized coral sticking out from the ocean floor and barrel rolled to deflect a few pieces of debris that suddenly came raining down.

"Wish I could say the same for me." he grumbled.

"Hey, Falco." Anna spoke up. "Just outta curiosity, what happened with you and that girl…what's her name…Katt?"

Falco's face fell slightly.

"Haven't seen her in seventeen years. She worked for the Army back when she was still around. About a year after Fox and Krystal got married, she and the Labrador unit got sent to Venom to check for any suspicious activity…none of them ever came back.

"So…she's dead?" Marcus asked.

"I don't really know." Falco sighed. "Probably yes. But I'm not too sure...dammit! And I was just starting to like her."

Marcus actually felt a little sorry for Falco, even though he had never met Katt before. He couldn't stand to see anyone sad.

"Hey, chin up, Falco." he said. "Don't let depression drag you down. Besides, she's probably still alive, trying to get back home right now. The important thing is to be positive and patient. She'll turn up eventually."

Falco grinned. Marcus sure knew how to cheer a guy up.

"Don't worry about me, bud. You've still got the mission to focus on right now."

Marcus nodded.

"Right. We'll have this over with soon enough."

Suddenly, a few dots appeared on Marcus' sonar.

"I got some unidentified vessels a couple clicks from my current location. There headed for me right now. Chase, gimme a bioscan." Marcus said.

"Yeesh. Always coming to me for help, huh?" Chase said.

"What, you can't do it?"

"No, I can do it. I just don't want SOMEBODY to ASSUME I can do it." Chase replied, glancing at Anna.

Anna faked laughter, then responded,

"Why, thank you, Chase. And I guess you can ASSUME that I can provide Marcus the right coordinates and ASSUME that he can figure out where he's going!"

"How about we all ASSUME that I want you guys to stop arguing and ASSUME that Chase does what I told him to do! That way we can ASSUME that I can get the mission done and ASSUME that we get paid!" Marcus said sternly.

Chase rolled his eyes, but started up a bioscan anyway.

"According to my scan, there's no wildlife on this planet at all except for the fabled Gargantuan Eel."

"Hey, I heard about that." Falco spoke up. "That guy Soren Halen killed the only other one. But how could that thing possibly survive in a place like this?"

"I'm gonna say a tough exoskeleton. But that's just me. Always resorting to estimations." Chase replied.

"Hang on. If those aren't marine creatures, then…"

Marcus looked out the windshield. About five small, torpedo-like ships were closing in on him.

"Bogies!" Marcus shouted.

The _Blue Marine_ swerved out of the way of the ships as they sailed by.

"They're turning around!" Anna shouted. "Be careful!"

Marcus pulled up on the steering console and did a somersault over the enemies as they rocketed by him again.

"Fire in the hole!" Marcus shouted.

Marcus hit a red button above his head. A torpedo flew out at the enemies and detonated close enough to them to wipe them out.

"There's more on the way!" Chase shouted. "Keep a sharp eye out!"

Sure enough, ten more enemy units shot through the contaminated water. Marcus pushed a button on the steering console repeatedly and the _Blue Marine_ fired powerful lasers, cutting right through the enemy units as though they were butter.

Suddenly, the _Blue Marine_'s engine sputtered and a warning siren started blaring inside. Marcus shut off the siren.

"ROB, what's going on?"

"_Blue Marine_ experiencing power failure." ROB's expressionless voice crackled. "The pollution appears be damaging the vessel's interior."

"Just my luck. How much power do I have left?"

"63% power remaining."

"Marcus, you need to hurry up and find that vent system or the sub will shut down and you'll drown!" Chase hollered.

"OK, I'm going! Jeez, now I'm under even MORE pressure!"

Marcus slammed the boost pedal and shot through the murky depths at supersonic speed, but stopped when the siren blared again.

"59% power remaining." ROB blared.

"Lay off the boost!" Chase warned. "You'll conserve more power."

Marcus stopped. Up ahead was a gigantic pipe that arched up into a metallic island-like structure that was held up by huge beams on the ocean floor.

"I've found the vent!" Marcus said.

"Ok, now head up the pipe. You need to get inside the system and activate the override." Chase instructed.

"56% power remaining."

"Just put it on the screen, ROB. Stop telling me." Marcus ordered.

Marcus was about to proceed up the pipe that lead into the main control unit, but suddenly he stopped and didn't move a muscle.

"Something wrong, Mark?" Falco asked.

"Uhh…Chase?" Marcus asked.

"Yeah?" said Chase.

"That eel you mentioned before…did it have red eyes, REALLY sharp teeth and a head that could blow a hole in the _Great Fox_?"

"That's so accurate that it's creepy…but yes. Why?"

"It's staring me in the face right now!"

The eel's head slithered out of the pipe. The marine beast took one look at Marcus and roared.

"It's blocking the vent! I can't get in!"

"You're gonna have to flush it out somehow!" Chase hollered.

"That's easy for you to say! Where the hell is this thing's weak point?"

The eel swung its massive head at the _Blue Marine_. Marcus barrel-rolled out of the way. The eel roared again.

"That's it!" Anna shouted. "Shoot a torpedo in its mouth!"

Marcus hit the button the explosive flew into the eel's mouth. Believe it or not, it swallowed it. The torpedo exploded. The eel roared in agony, then slithered out of the pipe and straight toward Marcus.

"It's coming after me! Switching to all-range mode!"

The _Blue Marine_'s rudder extended and Marcus drove away from the serpent's blunt head.

"Look out, Mark!" Falco warned. "That thing looks really steamed."

Marcus rolled his eyes.

"As if I didn't notice." he thought.

"Shield analysis complete. Bringing it up on the monitor." Chase said.

Looking onto the screen, Marcus saw a bar representing the eel's remaining energy. He also saw that he only had 49% power left.

"Gotta take this guy out fast!"

"Marcus, I'm detecting a weak point on its tail!" Anna said. "Get around behind it!"

Marcus U-turned and swerved around to the eel's backside. The eel itself started looking around the water, looking for the metallic morsel that had just fled from it.

"Good God, this thing's gotta be at least forty feet long!" Marcus said.

Marcus looked at the tip of the eel's tail. Some of the exoskeleton was cracked off, revealing a bare fleshy part.

"OK, Mark!" said Anna. "Concentrate your fire right there!"

Marcus pressed his thumb down on the button and switched the laser firing mode to fully automatic. When the lasers collided with the tail, the eel shrieked and turned around. It could see him now. It started barreling toward Marcus with its mouth wide open. A multi-colored aura emitted from its mouth.

"Watch out, Mark!" Anna screamed.

Marcus swerved away just as a gigantic laser erupted from the eel's mouth.

"Wait a minute…lasers? Eels can't fire lasers!" Marcus exclaimed.

"Maybe the eel's been bio-engineered. That's probably what those Venomians were doing here." Chase pondered.

"And that monster certainly knows how to put those extra chromosomes to use!" Anna said.

The eel roared again.

"Shaddup, you big lizard!" Marcus retorted.

He hit the bomb button again and launched another torpedo into the colossal beast's mouth. The eel swallowed it, and it exploded. The eel cried out in pain again, then made an odd choking noise and stopped moving. After a few seconds, it drifted down to the ocean floor and lay dead.

"Jeez, first I'm Grandpa reborn and now I'm Halen reborn." Marcus breathed.

"22% power remaining." ROB blared.

"Mark, quit dinkin' around!" Anna scolded

"Don't start whining. I'm headin' in now." Marcus replied.

Marcus reverted to single-range mode and piloted the _Blue Marine_ up the gigantic pipe. The vessel surfaced in a rusted, metal cavern. Marcus powered down the submarine and climbed out of the hatch. He landed feet-first on the ground.

"OK, I'm inside the vent. Talk to me, Chase."

"First, get to the control unit and turn it on.

Marcus flicked the on the power switch for the computer. A login screen appeared.

"Username: VentinlationStaff. Password: j8l9oa." Chase said.

Marcus typed in the username and password.

"OK, now just do the same thing you did on Fichina." Chase instructed.

"Copy that."

Marcus scrolled over My Computer, then clicked on System Repair. He heard a rushing noise. Then he looked at the water. The revolting greenish-yellow hue was fading away!

"Mark, you did it!" Anna cheered. "The water's back to normal."

Outside the vent and above the surface, Falco, Chase and Anna watched in wonder as the waters of Zoness changed back from clouded green and yellow to pure blue. Soon, the planet would be full of life again, and Zoness would be a more hospitable place to live.

Marcus smiled at his work.

"Mission accomplished, gang."

He climbed back into the _Blue Marine_, powered up the engine and submerged.

After five minutes of cruising along back to the Eco-Dock, the siren went off again, this time even louder than before.

"Now running on emergency back-up power." said a robotic voice from the _Blue Marine_'s monitor. "Power will be drained in 1 minute."

"Oh, for the love of…" Marcus growled.

He didn't even think. He hit the ejector seat button and shot up into the water. He could see where he was going now, but he was fast running out of breath. All he focused on was getting to the surface.

It almost seemed like he wouldn't make it when…POW! He burst out of the water. He took a moment to catch his breath, then started front-crawling toward the Eco-Dock. After a minute or two, he made it to the ladder and immediately started climbing. When he reached the platform, he got down on all fours and started gasping for breath.

Falco, Anna and Chase landed their ships, jumped out and ran up to Marcus. Marcus himself looked at them…and burst out laughing.

"Wha…what are you laughing at?" Anna stuttered.

"You guys should see the looks on your faces. Ha! Priceless!" Marcus howled.

Falco rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, ha, ha, ha. Laugh it up, wise guy. You nearly drowned! That's certainly no laughing matter!" he scolded.

Marcus stood up, shook the excess water from his fur and established a comm link with the _Great Fox_.

"ROB, send a retrieval unit to pick up the _Blue Marine_." he ordered.

"Affirmative." ROB replied.

"It's gonna be a while before we can use THAT again." Chase muttered.

"I'll take the sky any day." Anna said.

"Let's just get out of here." Marcus spoke up. "We've done our job. But trust me, I'm not going NEAR a pool for at least a stinkin' month!"

**45 minutes later**

Back in the _Great Fox_, Chase was analyzing the data he had collected from the Gargantuan Eel while Anna scanned the planet's surface for any remaining radioactive water. Marcus was speaking with Peppy on the hologram device.

"Mission accomplished, sir." Marcus said.

"Way to go, Mark." Peppy said, smiling. "You're just like your old man...and you know that you don't need to call me sir. You and I are like family, after all."

Marcus smirked and rolled his eyes. When WASN'T he like his old man? For killing the Gargantuan Eel, he should have said he was just like Halen.

"Chase is analyzing the data we collected from that monster we ran into. It may lead to the source of all the attacks going on."

"Well done. Report back to me when you receive any further information."

"Got it. Marcus out."

Marcus shut off the hologram device.

"Mark, I've got something!" Chase called.

Marcus quickly walked over to the computer where Chase was working at. A bunch of random symbols that he couldn't understand were onscreen.

"Uhh…what is THAT supposed to mean?" Marcus asked.

"It's Saurian language. I was analyzing the eel's brain stem, looking for any possible reason on how it could fire lasers. It turns out that someone…or something bio-engineered it to do that, just like I thought. When I attempted to access the data, this showed up."

"Can you translate it?"

"No, I don't have the right moderator. I'll try to get one soon."

"But we can assume that something from Sauria did this, right?"

"Not at the moment. This data's about 2 years old. I could be a little off. Besides, no one on Sauria is smart enough to use machines except the deceased Sharpclaw leader, General Scales."

"Anything about this Scales guy?"

"He had a run-in with your dad 21 years ago and no one's seen him since. Not even his own tribe."

"Then it looks like this info's just a pothole. Let's head home, ROB."

**Across the galaxy...**

Later that night on Fortuna, Coyote lay sleeping in her bed. She couldn't really explain why, but ever since Marcus had rescued her on Fichina, she'd been able to sleep like a log. Just the same, whenever she thought about him, she smiled and her skin warmed up, as though there were a fire in her soul that burned bright at the mere thought of "that blue-furred cutie."

Suddenly, Coyote began dreaming.

**Dreaming...**

She was lying on a tile floor wet from the immense amount of rain falling from the sky. She seemed to be at the top floor of some sort of temple. Normally she liked rain, or at least didn't mind it, but now wasn't the time for basking in it as she watched in terror at what was going on.

A large, stone statue in front of her had fractured from its base and was now falling towards her. She screamed and held up her hands, as though she would be able to push it away.

Suddenly, it stopped about 6 inches from her face. Coyote looked up and saw someone holding the fallen statue up on his shoulders. At first, she had no clue who it was, but just then, lightning cracked across the sky and for a split second, she caught a glimpse of her savior's face.

It was Marcus!

"Man, even in my DREAMS this boy's saving my hide." she thought.

Marcus grunted as he lifted the statue away from Coyote, then gave one last shout and threw it over the wall. Coyote had no idea was she was thinking, but she stood up, sprinted at Marcus and jumped at him so quickly that he fell over.

Coyote lay on top of him and gazed into the entrancing hazel eyes. How she loved seeing them. She almost felt as though she wanted to drown herself in them.

"My hero…" she whispered to him.

He smiled. "My maiden…"

Once again ignoring all common sense, Coyote leaned her head down and pressed her lips to Marcus' mouth. The fire in her soul became a raging inferno. She felt as light as a feather. She felt so alive!

But just then, the worst possible thing happened…

…she woke up.

**Awakening...**

Coyote's eyes slowly cracked open. She felt like she was still kissing the lips of her teenage dream, but when she opened her eyes all the way, she found that she was smooching her own pillow.

Coyote spat out her pillow and groaned out of disappointment.

"It felt so real…"

She looked across to her beside table. A photo of Marcus (which she had taken while she was stalking him like a bloodhound stalks a wild pig) was sitting on it.

She picked it up and gazed into the hazel eyes again. Every time she saw those eyes, she went into a lustful trance. She wanted to be where he was. She wanted to know what he thought of her. Most of all, she wanted to let him know about her feelings for him. Maybe he would understand, and maybe they weren't so ridiculous after all. The eyes themselves seemed to pierce her gaze, look down into her heart and feel her true emotions toward her. His gaze soothed her.

Coyote smiled salaciously at the picture.

"Now I've got a little mission of my own." she whispered.

She kissed the picture good-night, then turned over on her back and went to sleep.


	10. Red Hot Rumble

CHAPTER TEN

**Red Hot Rumble**

**November 4****th****, 2053**

**McCloud's House**

Because Chase still had yet to obtain the right moderator to translate the Saurian symbols, Marcus had decided to take the matter into his own hands. The previous night, he stayed up late searching through the Cornerian military files (to which he, being the leader of Star Fox, had access) for any information on General Scales or any other hostile life-form on Sauria. He had just typed the phrase "Sharpclaw Tribe" into the Search bar, when he fell asleep where he sat.

He didn't wake up again until 10:15 the next morning, when Fox came into Marcus' room and found his son drooling all over the desk.

"Sport, where you up all night searching through those files?" Fox asked.

Marcus rubbed his eyes before answering.

"Unfortunately. Dad, you remember General Scales, right?"

"General Scales…" Fox repeated. "Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time."

"But do you remember him?"

"Remember him? I watched him die right in front of me."

"Chase found something on Zoness that may relate back to General Scales. Can you tell me some stuff about him?"

"Well, Scales was the leader of the Sharpclaw dinosaur tribe. Everyone on Sauria, even a few members of his own tribe, hated him because he tried to rule the planet with an iron fist. Fact is he's the reason that Sauria broke apart when I was 26. He broke the seals in the two Force Point Temples and stole magical objects called Spellstones, causing the planet to fall apart. I ran into him looking for the Spellstones."

"Could he speak English?"

'No. Only the Thorntail Shopkeeper, the Warpstone and my old friend Tricky the Earthwalker can speak English on that planet. Everyone else speaks Saurian."

"Hmm…what happened to him?"

"I met him again when I went after the final Krazoa Spirit to save your mother. We were just about to fight each other when Andross' soul told Scales to give up the spirit…so he did…and he vanished."

"Just…vanished? No bones? No blood? No corpse?"

"Nope. Nothing."

Marcus thought for a second.

"Somethin' fishy is goin' on here." he said to himself.

It was literally impossible for someone to die and not leave behind a corpse. It was against the laws of physics. Then again, so are anthropomorphic animals, talking dinosaurs, and the Lylat System altogether.

"But honestly, you didn't need to stay up all night searching through that, did you?" Fox asked.

"…I guess not." Marcus replied. "Thing is Chase still doesn't have that moderator, and we need to get to the bottom of this before the whole galaxy erupts into a sway of terrorism."

Fox put a hand on his son's shoulder and smiled.

"I know you're just trying to be a good leader, but aren't you taking it a little too seriously? I did that in my day and made some pretty bad decisions if you know what I mean."

Marcus took a moment to ponder that, and then he smiled.

"Yeah, Dad, I guess you're right. I just can't stand seeing people getting hurt because of those god da…"

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! His pager blared.

Marcus groaned.

"Of all the times!"

**30 minutes later**

"Whoa, hold the phone! We've gotta go WHERE?" asked Marcus

Peppy had contacted the Star Fox team from inside the _Great Fox_. He had just told them they had to go to Solar, one of the Lylat System's stars (The other one being Lylat, thus being where the system got its name)

"A Venomian nuclear base has been discovered there." Peppy said. "We need you to go down there and shut down the factory by any means necessary. I'm giving you authorization to detonate the base if necessary. Hare out."

Peppy's face disappeared from the screen.

"Didn't even bother asking for our opinion." Falco grumbled.

"He's the General." Chase said. "He doesn't care about or need our opinion."

"How does Gramps expect us to get down there without getting fried?" Anna whined. "That entire place is a flaming wasteland! We'll be burned to the bone before we even set foot in that base!"

Chase smirked.

"You really don't know the extent of my genius, do you, Anne?" he asked.

Anna glared at him.

"Would you be so kind as to mention what the hell you're talking about?"

"Well, it just so happens that I prepared for something like this. You remember that Thermal Suit we gave Mark? It has a backwards compatibility, so it can resist heat just as well as it can resist cold."

"OK." Marcus said. "Can you make three more of those before we get to Solar?"

"No need. I made them ages ago."

"Now THAT'S what I call thinking ahead. ROB, set course for Solar.

"Affirmative."

**30 MORE minutes later**

"Kids…I don't think we're gonna make it." Falco said with a tone of panic in his voice.

The team had arrived at Solar and Anna had marked the coordinates of the base on everybody's radar, but their ships were slowly taking damage from the intense heat.

"Ah, sweet Lord. Why did it have to be this?" Marcus groaned, his tongue hanging of mouth as he heavily panted.

"I think I'm gonna dehydrate before I make it." Chase whined.

Being a frog, Chase wasn't used to extreme heat. In fact, he hated heat altogether, making winter his favorite season. "Summer sucks, Christmas rules!" he always said.

"Don't fly too low! Your ship can't take it!" Anna warned.

"No promises." Chase replied meekly.

"Enough whining, guys!" Marcus said, snapping to attention. "We're not gonna get there and back if we keep whining about how we hate this place."

Even with the Thermal Suits on, each member of the Star Fox team was sweating bullets. Marcus had to strain his eyes to see through the bright light.

"Man, if Katt could see this bullcrap…" Falco grumbled.

A column of lava shot up out of the surface of the star.

"Watch out!" Anna screamed.

The team barrel-rolled out of the way to avoid getting pelted by the molten ore.

"Everybody keep an eye on your six!" Marcus shouted. "There's no telling when that'll happen again."

Everybody flew higher, away from the lava, but it didn't really seem to matter. Hundreds of volcanic rocks shot up at them.

"Shoot those things down, or we're gonna get smoked!" Anna hollered.

Lasers went flying as the team laid their thumbs on the cannon buttons and shot the meteors into pieces. Suddenly, Marcus ship shook.

"What the..." Marcus sputtered.

"What happened, Mark?" Chase asked. "Are you hit?"

Marcus looked up. An odd bird-like creature had landed on his ship. The Arwing was slowly being weighed down toward the lava.

"Hey! I ain't a tree! Get off me!" Marcus shouted at the bird.

He slammed his steering console all the way to the left and did a barrel roll. The bird fell off, but Marcus had done was make it angry, forcing it to chase after him.

"I ain't your buddy! Go away!" Marcus hollered.

He somersaulted over his pursuer and got around behind it.

"The hunter becomes the hunted." Anna said when Marcus shot the bird, sending it careening into the lava below.

"OK, what was that thing and why was it napping on my ship?" Marcus asked.

"I think that was an Aviara." Chase replied. "They live all over this place. They're constantly looking for things to land on and build their nests."

"And it looks like they've marked us as potential targets." Falco grumbled angrily.

More of the birds flew out of the fiery surface towards them, but to the team's surprise, the avian creatures opened their mouths and began firing lasers at them.

"These things are bio-engineered, too!" Chase shouted.

"Get a scan on one of 'em! We'll check it out when we get back." Marcus ordered.

"Don't you mean IF we get back?"

"That negativity is gonna come back and bite you in the ass one day." Anna grumbled.

Three Aviaras were chasing Falco, who barrel-rolled to deflect the lasers fired at him. Suddenly, a rather large Aviara swooped down and clawed the _Sky Claw_ with its talons. When Falco tried to pull up, nothing happened.

"Falco, what are you doing? Those things are right behind you!" Anna screamed. "Pull up! Do a barrel roll! Do SOMETHING, for God's sake!"

"I can't!" Falco hollered back. "Something's wrong with the G-Diffuser!"

The G-Diffuser was what allowed the Arwing to repulse gravity and create the force of rise. It was easy to fix, but if Falco didn't do anything, he was screwed!

"Mark, get those guys off him!" Anna shrieked.

"I can't!" Marcus replied. "He's too far away!"

"Watch out!" Chase hollered. "There's more of them coming at you from the front!"

Falco was so focused on trying to repair his G-Diffuser that he had forgotten to watch where he was going.

Suddenly, a barrage of laser fire hit the Aviaras and sent them plummeting into the lava. Falco fixed the G-Diffuser and swerved away from the molten ore.

"Aha! Unjammed! Thanks, guys." Falco said.

"Uhh…that wasn't us." Marcus said nervously.

"Huh? Then who was it?"

Just then, a flatly-shaped ship flew down from the atmosphere and flew next to Falco.

"Hey, Lombardi!" a female voice called from inside the ship. "Remember me?"

Falco looked at the ship. He recognized both it and the playful voice. It was the _Cat's Paw 2_.

"Katt!" Falco cheered. "You're alive!"

Katt smiled from inside her ship.

"You guys need some help?" she asked.

"It would be much appreciated. Thanks." Marcus said.

"So you're Katt Monroe? Wow, I gotta say it's an honor to meet you." Anna said.

"Hey, don't start flattering me, sweetie. You've gotta watch your back." Katt replied.

"Incoming Aviaras…not that it's any surprise." Chase said.

Marcus established a comm link to the _Great Fox_.

"ROB, send us some bombs, will ya?"

"Location confirmed." ROB blared. "Sending supplies."

A few bombs landed in Marcus' artillery launcher.

"Ready…FIRE!" he shouted.

Everyone slammed on their bomb buttons. Five smart bombs flew through the air and collided with the swarm of Aviaras just as the five ships boosted away from them.

Katt looked behind her and saw two Aviaras following her.

"Ah, crap! I'm just not winning today." she grumbled.

Marcus noticed Katt's pursuers. He switched to Multi-Lock (which allowed him to lock onto more targets, although the shots were weaker.), locked onto them and downed them both.

"Take that, sucker!" Marcus cheered.

Katt smirked. "Beautiful! I could kiss you for that!"

Marcus blushed. From what he had heard about Katt, she was extremely beautiful (and not just for a 46-year old) and a bit of a badass. Whether or not those rumors were true, Marcus would find out.

"Uhh…you're welcome." he stammered.

"Look alive, guys! We're coming up on the base!" Chase said.

Marcus looked up. An enormous building with several tall smokestacks and rocket thrusters underneath it to keep it afloat was just 20 clicks away from them.

"OK, everyone. Initiate landing sequence!"

The five ships stopped over a large metal, platform, lowered themselves and made perfect touchdowns. The Star Fox team opened their cockpits and jumped down onto the platform. Katt hopped out after them. The team saw that she had her own Thermal Suit. When Chase got an eyeful of Katt, his mouth dropped open. Even for a forty-six year old feline, she seemed to be absolutely GLOWING with youth.

Anna took one look at Chase and scowled.

"Jeez, sometimes that guy is as dumb as a sack of peanuts." She grumbled.

Marcus slapped Chase across the face to snap him out of his trance.

"There's time for getting mesmerized by a hot chick later."

Marcus pulled out Krystal's staff and a laser blaster from his ship. Chase pulled out an M-16 machine gun, Anna a sniper rifle, Falco an AK-47 and Katt two full-auto pistols.

"According to the data I've collected about the base, there's 2 paths inside." Anna said. "One goes to the factory control room, though you'll have to get through an industrial area to get there. The other path goes to the base supercomputer."

"There may be some info in that computer that we can use." Marcus said. "Chase, you and Anna go in that direction. Falco, Katt and I will look for the main control unit."

"Got it!" everyone replied.

The Thermal Suits worked fairly well in terms of backwards compatibility, but everyone still had beads of sweat on their foreheads until they ran inside. Chase and Anna ran down the left corridor while Falco, Marcus and Katt took the right.

For the first few minutes, Marcus' squad didn't run into any problems. The hall was slightly longer and more crisscrossed than they expected, but stealth still remained a high priority, and a simple one at that. They stopped for a minute when Katt spoke up.

"So you're Fox McCloud's kid?" she asked Marcus.

Marcus turned to her.

"Well…yeah. But what's that got to do with anything?"

"I was just thinking you're not really like him, that's all."

"Not like him? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you're not a complete dumbass."

Marcus was shocked.

"WHAT?"

Falco face-palmed himself.

"Here she goes again."

He should have warned Marcus that Katt hated Fox's guts. This simply because Fox had accidentally attacked a Venomian space cruiser that Katt and Falco's gang had stolen, causing Falco to get into a dogfight with him. Katt had been holding it over his head ever since.

"No offence, kid, but when it comes to intelligence, your dad is a wet match in a dark cave…if you'll excuse the metaphor."

Marcus couldn't stand it when people made fun of his parents. It literally made him want to tear something (or someone) to pieces. And right now, Katt was really ticking him off!

"And, honestly," Katt continued. "If you ask me, I think Krystal really would have been better o…"

Before Katt could finish her sentence, Marcus slammed his fist so hard against the metal wall that the floor trembled.

"SHUT UP!" he shouted. "My father is a great man! He's been saving your ass since before you knew who he was! And apparently you're too stuck-up to realize that my mom loved my dad like it was her life!"

Katt was literally taken aback by a sixteen year-old boy shouting at her. It made her feel awkward, but within three seconds of it settling in, it made her angry.

She frowned.

"Sheesh! No need to be so touchy, you whiny little prick!" she retorted.

"What did you say?" Marcus hollered.

"Hey, both of you!" Falco interrupted. "Knock it off! We're here to fight the bad guys, not each other! If you wanna make it out of here alive, we have to work together!"

Katt turned to Falco.

"Falco, I want to ask you something. If you had to decide between me and Star Fox, which would you take?"

Falco looked down at his feet. He had no idea what to say. If he said Katt, he'd be shunning the friends he had made by abandoning the Hot Rodders. But if he said Star Fox, he would break Katt's heart. Did she really mean that much to him?

After a few seconds of silence, Falco looked up. He had decided on his answer.

"Katt…you're gonna hate me for this…but I'd choose Star Fox."

"What?" Katt said in a shocked tone. "B..But..."

"Fox treated me like a real hero and a good friend. He didn't care if I was a vigilante. Ever since I left the Hot Rodders and met Fox, my life has taken a turn for the better. And besides, Mark's right. Fox is a great man."

Katt couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her best friend, Falco Lombardi, had rejected her.

"So…Isaac…Mouser…Rico…and me…we don't matter anymore?" Katt asked.

"Whoa, hang on!" Falco said. "I never said that!"

Suddenly, a trio of guards rounded the corner and caught sight of them.

"Intruder alert!" one of them shouted.

"Grrr! Should've saved our breaths." Marcus grumbled.

He unsheathed his staff, sprinted forward and bowled over the guards with his staff. Falco and Katt ran after him. The next room seemed to be the industrial area Anna had been talking about. Three large conveyor belts were carrying what looked an awful lot like atom bombs across the room. Several dangerous-looking machines were placing restraints on them. Worst of all, the room was filled with guards, all of whom were now running straight at Marcus, Katt and Falco.

"Hold those guys off while I get to the control unit!" Marcus ordered. "But for God's sake, watch your shot!"

Marcus dove over the first conveyor belt as the guards closed in around Katt and Falco, who immediately began fending them off with their fists. Falco loaded up his gun and began shooting it off at the Venomians. Katt still felt heartbroken knowing that Falco preferred Star Fox over her, but then she remembered that she now had to fight these goons to stay alive. So she did.

Marcus stepped onto the second conveyor belt. This one was moving along much faster than the other one. He had to sprint as quickly as he could to get over to the other side. Several snipers saw Marcus from their platforms and aimed their weapons at him. Marcus cart wheeled, back flipped and rolled away from the bullets zinging at him from nearly every angle.

Katt flipped over one guard, caught him with her legs and slammed him into the ground with a back flip. Falco used a sweep kick, then a roundhouse kick to the face to knock out the guard in front of him.

A guard with a chainsaw in his hands ran after Marcus, who in turn blocked the swing with his staff and landed a quick hit to the side of the Venomian's head. Finally, Marcus stepped onto the third conveyor belt, jumped on one of the atom bombs and used the Rocket Booster to propel himself toward the window which held in the control room.

He was going fast enough to smash right through the glass with relative ease.

"Alright!" Falco cheered. "He made it!"

Katt rolled her eyes.

"Yippee for him."

Marcus looked at the control unit's computer. Several oddly shaped thumbnails were on the screen.

"Chase, I'm at the unit. Talk to me." Marcus said into his comm.

No answer.

"Chase? Anna? If this is a joke, it's really not funny!"

Still no answer.

"Dammit! They must have turned their comms off."

That meant he had to figure out how to shut down the factory by himself! If there was one thing that Marcus was bad at besides stealth (which he had changed his mind about since the mission of Fichina), it was hacking into a computer. That was something he normally let Chase couldn't even figure out how to activate the self-destruct sequence!

Marcus was just about to try to figure out the username when he got a tingling sensation in the back of his head. His ESP (a.k.a. his sixth sense) was reacting.

A sixth sense was something that he had received genetically from Krystal. Her sixth sense was the ability to read the thoughts of the weak-minded. Marcus' sixth sense was predicting when something was going to happen BEFORE it did. However, his was limited. It only reacted when something was about to attack him.

Marcus unsheathed his staff and whipped around. A guard wielding a katana was advancing on him.

"Stay back, pal!" Marcus warned. "You don't know who you're dealing with!"

The Venomian smirked.

"You're gonna take me on with that metal stick?" he said in a gruff voice. "You must think I'm pretty damn stupid."

"I think ALL Venomians are stupid…stupid."

The Venomian swung his blade at Marcus' neck in a decapitation attempt. The young McCloud ducked under the weapon, brought his staff up, caught the goon between the legs and flipped him over his head. The evil soldier jumped to his feet and swung his weapon. Marcus blocked the blow with his staff and pushed him away, then thrust the weapon numerous times at the guard.

Falco spotted the guard attacking Marcus.

"Mark's in trouble!" he said.

Katt scowled. If there was one person she didn't care about, it was Marcus.

"So what?" she scoffed.

"SO WHAT?" Falco repeated.

Marcus threw a roundhouse kick to the Venomian's head. His opponent grabbed his ankle and spun him in a circle before punching him in the face.

"Next time, the old fool Hare should send REAL men, not a buncha good-for-nothing kids!" the guard mocked, raising his sword over his head.

Marcus rolled out of the way of the guard's next attack, He stood up in front of the main computer. The guard attempted to stab Marcus, who jumped out of the way just in time. The sword impaled the control unit.

The circuit board started sparking as the guard pulled his weapon back, and in seconds an alarm that blared through the whole base went off and the room was bathed in a red light.

"WARNING!" a computerized voice blared. "Self-destruct sequence initiated. Exterior deflector shield disabled. Five minutes until detonation. All personnel evacuate immediately."

Marcus glared at the guard.

"Way to go, dumbass!" he sarcastically shouted. "Now we're all screwed!"

The guard raised his sword over his head and was just about to bring it down on Marcus when a loud gunshot rang through the air. The guard went flying off his feet and lay on the ground. Dead.

Marcus looked back across the room. Falco holstered his smoking gun. Marcus gave him a thumbs-up. Suddenly, Chase's voice crackled on his comm.

"Hey! Can't you wait for us to actually ESCAPE before we blow the place to smithereens?" he shouted.

"Don't start jumping to conclusions! Did you get the data?"

"Yeah. I stored it on a flash drive."

"OK. We're all done. Let's evacuate immediately!"

Marcus jumped off the platform and landed feet-first on the ground. He took a flying leap over each conveyor belt as he quickly made his way back to the other side of the room.

"Let's get outta here!" he shouted to Falco and Katt.

The three ran through the shaking hallways. Just as they approached the entrance, Chase and Anna collided with them.

"Is everyone alright?" Chase asked.

"We won't be if we don't get outta here!" Falco screamed.

The team ran outside and toward their ships.

"Be careful!" Chase shouted. "The deflector shield's been deactivated! The lava can do damage to the base now!"

Right as he said that, a huge meteor shot up out of the lava and came crashing down on the platform, knocking all five of them to the ground. A loud unnerving crack went through the air. Falco, Chase, Anna and Marcus stood up. Marcus looked back. A piece of the platform was breaking off and was slowly tilting toward the lava. Katt's ship had already been submerged in the searing liquid, while Katt herself was precariously clinging to the ledge.

"KATT!" Falco shouted.

"Just go!" Katt shouted back. "Don't worry about me!"

Marcus looked at his ship, which was only 20 yards away, the he looked at Katt. If Marcus left Katt behind, she would die while he and his team would escape, but the guilt would be enough to make him wish he were dead. On the other hand, if he tried to save her, there was a big chance that they'd both die, but at least he would have the pride of trying.

He made up his mind. He ran back to Katt.

"What the hell are you doing, you idiot?" she screamed. "I said get out of here!"

Marcus grabbed her hand.

"A good soldier never leaves a man behind!"

Katt looked at Marcus.

"….he really is his father's son."

Marcus pulled Katt up away from the lava and they both broke into a run toward Marcus' Arwing. Marcus himself remotely opened the cockpit, and both he and Katt leaped inside. The hatch shut and everyone slammed on their boost pedals. The ships rose off what remained of the platform just as it fell into the lava below and sank out of sight.

When the team was about 2 kilometers away from the base, it exploded.

"Talk about mass destruction." Chase muttered.

"At least there's one less base to worry about." Anna remarked.

"Yeah. Now let's get our carcasses outta here before we melt!" Falco said.

**10 minutes later**

The Arwings glided into the hangar bay and ROB reset the locks on them. Everybody hopped out and walked to the command bridge. When they got there, Marcus turned on the hologram device, while Chase booted up his computer and readied to examine the data collected from the Aviaras.

"This is Marcus. Calling General Hare. Peppy, do you read me?" Marcus said.

Peppy's face appeared onscreen.

"General Hare here. What happened, Marcus?"

"The mission was a success. But there's something else: we found Katt Monroe…or rather, she found us."

"Katt Monroe? Of the Labrador unit?"

"Yes. She's right here with us." Marcus jerked his thumb back at Katt. "We're prepared to return her to Corneria."

"Is she the only Labrador militia there?"

"I'm afraid so. No other surviving militia seem to exist…at least, none that we know of."

"Well done, Marcus. Get home as quick as you can. Hare out."

Peppy's face vanished. Marcus walked over to Katt, who was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room.

"Are you sure you're OK?" he asked.

Katt looked at him.

"You saved my life…"

Marcus smiled.

"Of course I did. That's my job."

"….thank you so much."

Marcus scratched the back of his head.

"Ah, it was nothing."

"What do you mean nothing? I could have died. And now I feel like I've gotta repay you or suffer some ridiculous consequence. But frankly, I don't know how I'll be able to do it."

Anna, Chase and Falco looked up at Marcus, who turned and looked at Falco. Falco himself smiled and nodded. Marcus smiled and looked back at Katt.

"I think I have an idea that will benefit us all." he said to her.

Marcus reached into his pocket, then knelt down and pinned whatever he was holding to Katt's leather vest.

"Katt Monroe…for extreme bravery in the face of great peril and for assisting us in our mission…"

He drew his hand back. Katt gazed at the emblem attached to her vest with wide eyes. It was a running fox with wings. The Star Fox symbol.

Katt looked up at Marcus, who grinned and crossed his arms.

"You are now an honorary member of the Star Fox team." he said.

Katt's face lit up, then she sprang to her feet.

"WOOHOO! Hell yeah!" she cheered like a school-girl.

Katt had wanted to be in Star Fox ever since Falco joined the former one, mainly so she could be close to Falco himself and get in on the action that the Hot Rodders never could.

"ROB, prepare a fifth Arwing for Katt, would ya?" Marcus said.

"Confirmed. Construction will commence in 3 hours." ROB responded.

Falco walked over to the still-cheering Katt and put his hand on her shoulder.

She turned to him and blushed.

"Welcome to the team, Katt." Falco said, smiling.

A loud beep came from Chase's computer.

"Guys," he said "I think you should have a look at this."

Everyone gathered around Chase's computer. A few of the same symbols they found in the Gargantuan Eel's brain stem were onscreen.

"More Saurian symbols?" Marcus asked.

"There's gotta be someone on Sauria doing something." Anna said. "Did you get that translator mod yet, Chase?"

"Sorry, but finding that thing's gonna take some time." Chase said. "I'll try to get Dad to help me with it, but just remember, there's no sure way that's gonna help us. Besides, this data's only partially complete. We need more if we're gonna prove anything."

"Great." Falco grumbled. "That's means we've gotta fight ANOTHER one of those God forsaken beasts."

Chase turned off his screen.

"Hey, we barely made it out of there alive. And we DID strike a major blow to the Venomians. We're one step closer to winning this war."

Anna blew a puff of air from the corner of her mouth.

"Problem: it's always right when someone says that that something goes screwy."

Falco looked at Katt.

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?" he asked her.

Katt looked at him sheepishly.

"I…I'll find a place…eventually."

"You can come stay with me for a while if you want."

Katt blushed even more.

"You mean it?"

"Sure! I've got plenty of room. Thing is I live by myself and I don't usually have company over so I hope you don't mind…"

Falco stopped for a second when Katt got a devilish look on her face.

"…sleeping in the same room."

Katt giggled.

"Oh, I don't mind at all." she said salaciously.

Falco was starting to lose his balance as Katt leaned in toward him. Suddenly, ROB spoke up.

"Pardon my interruption," he said. "But perhaps we should focus on getting back to Corneria instead of attempting to seduce Falco."

Katt blushed. So did Falco.

Chase shrugged.

"He does that."

Falco rolled his eyes.

"Some things never change."

**11:00 p.m.**

Even though he wasn't surfing around the military files that night, Marcus was still thinking heavily about the situation while he slept. Just why was it that every time the team got a bio-engineer scan, it showed Saurian symbols? The dinosaurs of Sauria were very peaceful creatures, save for the carnivorous RedEye (called Tyrannosaurus Rex on Earth), but even the RedEye themselves were as idiotic as a pile of rocks, so only a fool would blame them for the incidents going on. And if General Scales was really dead, the Sharpclaw would no longer threaten the other dinosaur tribes.

Marcus' mind went blank when he heard a sliding noise. The glass door in his room that led out to the balcony had opened.

He thought he was just hearing things when he heard something else: his bed creaking. He also felt his bed get weighed down slightly, as though something other than him was lying in it.

He started to panic and his forehead started to sweat when he heard soft breathing near his ear. Someone was in his room, in his bed, right next to him! He was just about to snap his eyes open and scream for help when he felt something against his cheek…something warm, tender and slightly wet.

A pair of lips. He calmed down. The sweating stopped.

He could feel the person's light heartbeat against his chest and its soft hands around his shoulders. Marcus had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was…he didn't want it to end.

Suddenly, the person drew away and softly whispered in his ear.

"Sweet dreams."

The voice was quiet and stern, but at the same time gentle and caring. It wasn't dangerous, nor was it calming. Who was there? Why were they there? Why would they just come into his house, smooch his cheek, and whisper in his ear?

The bed creaked again, the weight was lifted, and the door slid shut. Marcus snapped his eyes open, sat up and looked around the room.

No one was there. He was all alone.

Had it just been a dream? No, of course not. He would have seen something if he had been dreaming.

He looked outside. The moon was full, the sky was clear and starry, not a cloud in sight.

Wait a minute…outside!

Marcus jumped out of bed, opened the door and walked out onto the balcony. All he saw were the lights of the city far below.

"Anybody there?" he called into the night.

No answer.

Marcus rolled his eyes.

"Now wasn't THAT the best dream I've ever had…" he groaned.

He stared out at the starry sky, completely unaware that up on the roof, six feet above him, a certain white-furred wolf was smiling down at him, the taste of his cheek still on her lips.

He hadn't been dreaming. But for now, he'd never know that. She whispered quietly…quiet enough that Marcus couldn't hear her.

"Reality and dreams are becoming the same."


	11. Faster, Stronger, Better

CHAPTER ELEVEN

**Faster, Stronger, Better**

**November 6****th****, 2053**

**Toad's House**

Marcus dribbled the basketball around a little bit before using a jump shot to throw it in the hoop. The ball bounced back. He caught it and tossed it to Chase, who did a lay-up, then threw it to Anna.

"Tyler's been bugging me lately about asking you guys if he can join the team." Chase said. "It's really getting under my skin."

Tyler was one of Chase's four brothers, as well as the youngest at age seven. His other three brothers, George, Logan and Matt, were triplets at age eighteen and were enlisted in the Cornerian Army in the Basset, Husky and Bloodhound units respectively. Chase hadn't seen any of them in at least three years

"What, is he jealous of you or something?" asked Anna before running up to the hoop and slam dunking the ball.

"Nah, he just thinks that he could do it a lot easier than we could."

"He's seems to have forgotten the fact that he's seven and we're sixteen."

"He has this really bad habit of being cocky. He's been like that for months…actually, I think he might have gotten it from me."

What was his first guess?

Marcus smirked.

"Trust me, if he had gone through that mission on Solar, he would've dropped out…" (Here he snapped his fingers) "…just like that."

Chase laughed.

"Yeah, but at least he's got guts. Maybe I'll just tell him he'll get on when he's fourteen or something."

Chase tossed the ball over his shoulder.

"Either of you guys bored as hell right now?" he asked.

Marcus and Anna nodded.

"Of course, you DO have that habit of getting bored as hell by just standing still for three seconds." Marcus chuckled.

"Ha ha. Real freakin' funny, smartass." Chase said sarcastically.

"Let's go down to the _Great Fox_ and just screw around or something." Anna said. "I mean, it's better than standing around out here, right?"

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but sure! Why not?"

**20 minutes later**

"Lemme get this straight: you were just lying in bed when something snuck into your room and snogged you on the cheek?" Chase asked, stifling a laugh.

Marcus had told them what happened the other night. Chase and Anna had both burst out laughing when he first said it.

"Hey, I ain't a liar!" Marcus said.

"I never said you were."

"Well, that's just the pure facts. And I was not, I repeat, NOT dreaming!"

"We understand that. Any idea who it was?" Anna asked.

Marcus stopped. Good question.

He thought and came up with five possible answers.

It couldn't have been Anna, because she told him herself that even though Chase was an egotistical jerk, believe it or not, she actually had a crush on him. (Here Marcus smirked).

It definitely wasn't Krystal, because she would've come in through the hallway, not the balcony. Plus she was his mom, and that kiss was WAY too passionate for a motherly kiss.

There was no way it was Katt, because Falco would've noticed if she had left, and they were still hooked on each other.

Even in his wildest nightmares, it wouldn't be Kursed. She was dead…or so he thought.

So, by order of elimination, that left only…

"Coyote!" Marcus said out loud.

Anna's eyes went wide.

"O'Donnell's kid? You can't be serious!"

"I haven't seen her since the Fichina mission, but it's gotta be her!"

"Sitting duck." Chase said suddenly.

"What?"

"Sitting duck."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"SITTING DUCK!"

Chase meant that Marcus was a sitting duck.

"She's not gonna kill me in my sleep, moron!" Marcus retaliated. "She could've done it last night, but wonders of wonders, she chose not to!"

"You don't know that!" Chase shot back. "For all you know, she could plotting your downfall right now! Have you ever seen The Wolfman? Well, she's just like the monster in that movie! One minute she's snogging you, then next, WHAP! She's mutilated your whole freakin' body!"

"Great, now you're comparing her to a monster in some movie from FORTY-THREE YEARS AGO! Look, I know you're just trying to help me, but don't! I can take care of myself!"

"Will you both just stop it?" Anna cut in with a sincere tone in her voice. "You've both been best friends for God knows how long, and now some girl from another planet is going to mess that up? You two should be ashamed of yourselves!"

Marcus and Chase shut their mouths. It always seemed to be the Hares that ended arguments. Even Peppy and Lucy could cut in and stop people from fighting when it was absolutely necessary.

"I'm sorry." Marcus said.

"It's OK. Don't worry about it." Chase replied, a small grin on his face. "But seriously, don't let your guard down. You never know when you'll be just walking along; minding your own business, then suddenly WHAM! Knife in your back!"

Marcus rolled his eyes and smirked.

"I think you need to stop watching _Friday the 13__th_."

The three teens arrived at the airway. They stepped underneath the _Great Fox_, and ROB beamed them up. Inside the command bridge, Katt and Falco were lounging around with their feet up on a desk.

"You guys, too?" Chase asked.

"Yep." Falco yawned. "It ain't the first time I've had nothin' to do around here."

"Speak for yourself, why don't ya?" Katt sarcastically said, rolling her eyes.

Suddenly, a voice crackled on the hologram projector. It was extremely static, but they could make out a few words.

"Star Fox…this…Command…Bill Grey!" the voice shouted.

"Dad!" Anna screamed. "What's going on?"

The image became clear and the static stopped.

"Phew! That's better!" Bill said in an exhausted voice.

"Bill, where are you?" Marcus asked. "What's going on?"

"Me and the Husky unit are at the Katina hinterland base. We need your help! We're under attack!"

Chase's eyes went wide. That meant Logan was in trouble!

Marcus saw the fear in both of his friends' eyes and furrowed his brow.

"We're on our way! Try to stay alive until we get there! Marcus out!"

The hologram projector shut off.

"ROB! Set course for Katina, pronto!"

"Affirmative."

Everyone ran to their seats except Chase, who stood there staring blankly into space with fear in his eyes. Marcus put a hand on Chase's shoulder.

"Logan's gonna be fine." he said. "But we gotta get over there now and help them out!"

Chase snapped out of his trance and narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah! Let's do this!"

**10 minutes later**

"Entering Katina air space!" Marcus shouted into his comm as the five Arwings flew down into the atmosphere. "Anna! You, Katt and I will take the ground. Chase and Falco, the skies are all yours!"

"Gotcha. Try not to make a mess of things, Chase." Falco said.

"Give it a rest, Falco. I just wanna save my big brother before he gets buried in scrap metal!" Chase retorted.

Marcus, Anna and Katt piloted their ships through the rampage going on across the sky. They barely made it to the ground and hopped out of their ships. For the first time, Katt got a good look at Anna in her pink jumpsuit, compared to the vest and cargo pants that she had been wearing before. She wolf-whistled.

"Wow, that outfit really shows off your figure, Annie! You should feel proud of it!" she said.

Anna blushed.

"I…I don't wear this to look good, you know! I wear it because it's aero-dynamic!"

"Sure you do, Anna Aensland." Chase said, chuckling.

"This is no joke, Chase!"

"Sorry. Force of habit, y'know."

"Bill!" Marcus shouted into his comm. "Are you OK?"

Marcus heard Bill's voice on the other end.

"Star Fox!" Bill breathed. "Oh, thank God it's you! The Venomians have broken through our primary defenses and have taken over the base from the inside. We're being overrun out here!"

Suddenly, a voice Marcus had never heard before crackled on the line. The person who spoke was talking to Chase.

"Little bro! Is that you?" the voice asked.

"Logan! Phew, you're OK. Man, I haven't seen you in…"

"3 years. I know. We can catch up later, shortstop. Right now, we've gotta kick some Venomian ass!"

Marcus extended his staff, while Katt and Anna pulled out their guns as several Venomian foot soldiers ran for them.

"Go! Go! Go!" Marcus shouted.

The three ran full speed at the Venomian, firing their guns off as they went. Katt front-flipped over the enemies with her guns still going off, sending a massive barrage of lead raining down on them.

Marcus rolled to the left as one of the Venomians shot at him, then he leaped into the air and hit the guard on the side of the head, knocking him out cold. Meanwhile, up in the air, Chase was keeping on the tail of one of the enemy units.

"Your carcass is mine!" he shouted.

The enemy ship swerved out of the way.

"Escaping?" Chase mocked. "I don't think so!"

Chase locked onto the ship and let fly with a smart bomb, then quickly U-turned to avoid being caught in the blast radius.

Logan smirked at his younger brother's work.

"You've become quite a pilot, little bro!" he said.

"Yeah, you know it!...Watch out! There's a bogey behind you!"

Logan looked behind him. An enemy ship was following him. He somersaulted over the enemy, let fly with an energy sphere and blasted the ship to smithereens.

"No sweat!" he mocked.

"Damn it, you filthy apes!" Falco shouted. "Just die already!"

Marcus looked around and saw that the Venomians had them outnumbered by at least three hundred soldiers. He'd never be able to take them down…

…at least, not on foot!

Marcus turned on a line to the _Great Fox_.

"ROB, deploy the _Landmaster_!"

A bright beam of light touched down about 25 feet from Marcus. A few seconds later, the massive tank stood ready for combat. Marcus sprinted over to it, remotely opened the cockpit and hopped inside. A group of Venomians started running toward the tank. Marcus aimed the heavy gun at them and fired, sending the foot soldiers flying in all directions.

"That's it, Mark! Show those punks what that _Landmaster_ can do!" Falco cheered.

Bill's voice crackled on the comm.

"OK, Mark, listen up. If we're gonna flush out all those Venomians, we need to get inside the base. Only problem is that the entry points are protected by a buncha barriers that prevent us from going in. The Venomians set up some shield generators to keep those barriers going. If you destroy them, you'll be able to get inside."

"Understood." Marcus replied.

"I've marked the locations of the generators on your radar, kid." Logan said. "You make good use of that, y'hear?"

"Whoa, wait a second. When did you learn how to mark locations on radar?" Chase asked.

Logan glanced at Bill.

"You get the son-in-law of the general as your boss, the two are really close…kinda self-explanatory, really."

Looking on the screen next to the windshield, four blinking dots were visible. The first one was fifty feet west and twenty feet above ground level.

"Keep on me, girls!" Marcus called. "I might need backup!"

"Right behind you, Mark." Katt replied.

The _Landmaster_ began moving. Katt and Anna followed it. Marcus locked onto one of the Venomian ships and fired an energy sphere at it. The ship came down with an explosive crash.

"Smash anyone and anything that gets in your way!" Falco said.

"With pleasure." Marcus replied.

Several Venomian foot soldiers started firing at the tank. The bullets bounced off like rain.

Marcus smirked.

"My turn."

He pressed the fire button. A massive laser hit the ground were the Venomian soldiers stood and sent them flying away.

"Get ready! You're coming up on the first generator." Bill said.

Marcus looked up. An odd-looking machine was attached to the wall of the base. It was rotating very quickly and powering a translucent, green force field. Nevertheless, it only took one shot to destroy it.

"The next one's on the far side. Hurry!" Bill said.

Marcus turned around. Several Venomians were standing on the wall with grenade launchers in their hands.

"FIRE!" one of them shouted.

The guns went off and several small bombs went hurtling at the _Landmaster_. Anna and Katt took cover behind a wall.

"Try hovering!" Anna shouted.

Marcus held his feet down on the boost and brake pedals and pulled up on the steering control. The _Landmaster_ ten feet off the ground. The grenades passed harmlessly underneath. Katt looked back from behind the wall. She loaded up her gun and shot all the Venomians down from where they stood.

"It's all clear!" she shouted. "Get moving!"

Marcus slammed on the boost pedal and rocketed across the ground toward the second generator, which, unfortunately, was guarded by two anti-aircraft turrets, which immediately sprang to life and began shooting at the _Landmaster_.

"I can't get close with those turrets shooting at me!" Marcus said. "Chase! Falco! You think you can handle for me?"

"On our way now, bud!" Chase said.

Falco and Chase swerved down, locked onto the turrets and hit them with charged shots, immediately detonating them.

"Thanks, boys. Now, to bust that generator!"

Marcus locked onto the distant generator and let fly with an energy sphere, which destroyed it on contact.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Chase shouted. "My radar's getting jammed!"

Marcus looked at his radar screen. It was flickering and getting harder to see the dots.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Katt said.

"Hurry and get the other generators, McCloud!" Logan shouted.

"Hey, calm down! I've got this under control!" Marcus replied.

The third generator was in orbit around the base.

"I can't get the third one! It's too high!"

Chase spotted the generator and was about to head for it when two enemy ships came up behind him.

"Dammit! I can't break free!" he shouted. "Mark, do something about the guys behind me!"

"It would be easier if you weren't 300 feet above me!"

Chase dropped altitude, barrel-rolled, and somersaulted, but no matter how hard he tried, the Venomians stuck on him like glue.

"Hands off my little bro, you stinkin' fleabags!" Logan shouted.

Logan's ship shot toward the enemies. He laid his thumb on the fire button and blasted them to smithereens.

"Phew! Thanks, Logan!" Chase said.

He U-turned back toward the generator and hit it with a smart bomb. The last generator was up on a tower at the middle of the base. And much to Marcus' dismay, it was protected by three guards holding homing launchers.

Even worse, the evil soldiers chose that moment to fire their guns at Marcus.

"Incoming missiles!" Marcus shouted. "Girls, take care of 'em for me!"

Katt and Anna held down the triggers on their guns and shot the missiles' rocket thrusters. They were no longer tracking Marcus, but they were still hurtling toward him at high speed.

"Roll out of the way before you get smoked!" Anna shouted.

Marcus shoved the steering console all the way to the left. The _Landmaster_ rolled out of the way as the missiles hurtled past it, but Marcus now felt nauseous. The _Landmaster_ wasn't designed to perform barrel rolls the way the Arwing could, so whenever a roll was successfully performed, it ALWAYS left the pilot with a sickening feeling.

Katt managed to shoot down the soldiers on the wall before they fired again. Marcus pulled himself together, locked onto the generator and destroyed it with a smart bomb.

Bill's voice crackled again.

"Good job, Mark! The shield's down!"

"Now get your ass in there!" Falco shouted.

"And hurry!" Chase shouted. "From the way my radar's reacting, I think something HUGE is coming right at us!"

Marcus ejected from the cockpit and sprinted to the entrance. He ran inside the room and set the elevator to descend to Level B3. The elevator went down. When the doors slowly slid open, Marcus quietly unsheathed his staff.

No one was in the hall. Marcus hid behind a wall and peeked around the corner. A group of Venomian soldiers, possibly commanders by the way they were dressed, were standing around the table, discussing something.

Marcus didn't catch much of the conversation, but he could make out the words "resurrection," "December seventh" and "core of the planet."

Whose resurrection? What core of what planet? And what would happen on December 7th? One thing Marcus was good at was mental notes.

"Bill…uhh…how exactly do I flush 'em out?" Marcus whispered into the comm.

"You'll need to go to the boiler room and activate the atomic rinse sequence. If you do this, every living creature inside the base will be killed."

"Uhh…yeah, but doesn't that include me? How do I stay alive?"

"Simple: get out before the rinse goes off."

"Well…alright. It's kinda barbaric, but it doesn't look like we have a choice. Marcus out."

Marcus turned off his comm and stepped back. He bumped into someone.

"And just who the hell are you?" the guard asked.

Marcus back-flipped over the guard and threw his staff at him. The staff hit the guard in the back off the head and knocked him unconscious. Marcus grabbed his staff, then quietly ran down the hall, making sure to duck into any nooks and crannies to keep from being seen by the several guards patrolling the inside.

After a few minutes, he made it to the boiler room. Silently, he opened the door and went inside. The entire room was made of metal and every thing seemed to radiate heat. Marcus quickly found the control panel and on the bottom side, outlined in red, was a button that said "Atomic Rinse. For Use in Emergencies Only."

He took in a few deep breathes, said "Here goes nothin'." and slammed his fist down on the button.

"Atomic rinse sequence initiated." a computerized voice blared. "Five minutes until detonation. All personnel evacuate immediately."

Marcus ran back to the elevator and hit the ground floor button. As soon as he reached the top, he ran out and shut the door. The base seemed to shake violently for a few moments, but other than that, nothing happened.

Marcus doubled over, panting.

"Phew! Glad that's over with." he breathed.

Suddenly, a gigantic shadow slowly loomed over the base.

"Look!" Katt shouted. "Up in the sky!"

Marcus looked up. A massive, circular ship that seemed to be wider than the whole base was floating above it.

"Commander, enemy mother-ship is positioning over the base!" Logan shouted.

"Oh, no, they've brought reinforcements!" Bill shouted.

A loud, sliding sound rang through the air as four hatches opened on the ship's underside. Hundreds of Venomian fighters came flying out.

"Looks like we've got company!" Falco shouted.

Marcus flipped out of the way of an enemy ship's laser fire as they slowly filled the open sky. He ran and took cover behind a wall.

Marcus looked up at the ships.

"Chase, gimme an analysis on that thing!" he yelled into the comm.

"The exterior looks like it's made of plutonium, one of the strongest known elements! Laser fire's gonna be useless!" Chase replied.

Marcus groaned and watched in annoyance as more ships shot out of the four hatches. Wait…the hatches! They weren't made of plutonium. They were made of steel!

"All ships, go for the four hatches on the underside. It'll prevent more ships from coming out!"

As if on cue, the military ships U-turned and headed right for the mother-ship.

Anna and Katt ran up to Marcus.

"Let's head for higher ground!" he shouted to them.

They nodded in response. The three broke into a sprint and found a few ramps near the central tower. Running up to the wall, Marcus jumped into the seat of a turret positioned at one corner of the main bridge. He carefully aimed at the open hatches.

"Time to show you who's boss." he grumbled

He pulled the trigger. Thousands of titanium bullets hit the hatch and detonated it, blocking anything else from getting out.

"Good job!" Bill said. "Only three more to go!"

"Falco, can you come down here and give us a hand with this?" Marcus said into his comm.

"No problem!" Falco replied. "I'm headin' down right…hey now! What have we here?"

Falco landed the _Sky Claw_ on a large platform and spotted a missile launcher sitting off to the left. He grinned.

"Now THIS is what I call firepower!"

He picked it up, looked through the scope and lined the crosshairs up with the closest hatch.

"Adios, sugar puff!" he shouted, before pulling the trigger.

The missile soared through the air until it collided with the hatch and exploded.

"Yeah, baby!" Falco cheered. "I almost feel like dancing!"

Katt smirked. She always loved to see him happy, even if he WAS being a little cockier than he really needed to be.

"When we get back…I'm gonna tell him." she said to herself.

Chase and Logan's ships passed underneath the third hatch. The two brothers looked at each other.

"You ready, big bro?" asked Chase.

"Always ready, little man."

Chase frowned. He was much shorter than his three older brothers, and that was something they had held over his head for his entire life (And for now, it looked like they would keep doing it).

"I have a name, y'know!"

The two ships U-turned, then Chase flipped his Arwing upside-down and lined it up underneath Logan's ship.

"TOAD CYCLONE!" they shouted.

The two ships rotated around each other at supersonic speed and fired off their cannons. Sure enough, the two lasers (Chase's plasma laser and Logan's mercury laser) blended together and collided with the hatch. The hatch itself exploded on contact.

"AW, YEAH!" Chase cheered. "I finally pulled it off! Take that, you no-good varmints!"

"Phew! Man, you're no little man when it comes to piloting, bro!" Logan said. "You've certainly grown since the last time I saw ya…and I honestly admit that I've never heard you say 'varmint' before."

"Then you've got a lot of catching up to do, buddy boy!"

"I'll take care of the last hatch!" Bill said.

He U-turned back toward the mother-ship and deployed a smart bomb at the last remaining hatch. The hatch exploded.

Suddenly, the central part of the underside began glowing.

"There's some sort of energy reaction on the underside, sir!" Logan shouted.

Slowly but surely, an odd needle-like protrusion appeared on the glowing spot.

"The core has appeared! All ships stand by to attack!" Bill ordered.

Bill turned on a comm link to Marcus.

"We've got two minutes before that ship fires its artillery cannon. That beam will destroy the base if it's launched. We need you to get up here and take out the core!"

"Got it." Marcus replied. "Anna, let's get back to our ships. Falco! Katt! You two cover us from below!"

The four started sprinting to Marcus and Anna's ships. Suddenly, a Venomian foot soldier that had survived the onslaught pulled out the pin on a grenade and threw it at Falco. Falco himself didn't see it, but Katt did.

"Falco, watch out!" she shrieked.

Katt tackled Falco out of the way. The grenade exploded in front of her, and she screamed as she was hurtled toward a wall.

"Katt!" Falco screamed.

Anna, Marcus and Falco ran over to Katt, who was crumpled on the ground and couldn't stop her tail from fidgeting, as though she were having a seizure. Falco knelt down and turned her over on her back. Her chest was bleeding like mad and her face was strained.

"Oh, God." Marcus said.

He touched his fingers to his comm.

"Man down! MAN DOWN!" he shouted.

The Venomian didn't seem content with downing just Katt, so he pulled out an AK-47 and started firing several rounds at the team. Marcus stood up, whipped out his staff and slammed it into the ground. A translucent, blue force-field erupted from it. When the bullets made contact, they reflected back onto their firer.

Logan's ship landed near them. He jumped out. Now that Marcus got a good look at him, he could see that Logan looked much like Chase, except much taller and with red skin instead of orange.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Grenade." Marcus said.

Logan knelt down next to Katt and pressed his middle and index finger to her wrist to check her pulse.

"Is…she gonna be OK?" Anna asked.

"It's hard to say." Logan said. "But she's definitely out of the fight. You've still got work to do."

"But what about Katt?" Marcus asked.

"Falco and I will take care of her. Hurry up and take out that core!"

Marcus hesitated, then sheathed his staff. He and Anna ran to their Arwings and jumped inside. They immediately flew up into the air. Marcus flew at the needle-like core and immediately began blaring off his lasers.

"Danger!" ROB blared. "Thirty seconds until laser fire!"

"Hurry up, Mark!" Chase shouted.

Marcus U-turned back toward the core and launched a smart bomb at the core. The bomb implanted itself into the structure and suddenly…

…KA-BOOM!

The entire mother-ship exploded!

"YEEHAW!" Bill cheered. "You did it!"

Everyone landed back on the ground. Falco picked up Katt in his arms.

"Let's get back to the _Great Fox_. Now!" Marcus ordered.

**10 minutes later**

Inside the medical room of the _Great Fox_, Katt lay on a metal table, still straining from the pain in her chest. Chase was performing an X-ray to see what the problem was.

A loud beep was heard.

"Got it." Chase said.

Everyone stood up.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Logan.

"It's just as I thought." Chase muttered.

He showed them the X-ray. An odd-looking object was shown in the chest area. Chase pointed at it.

"Know what that is?" he asked them. "That's a piece of shrapnel. It's stuck in her arteries."

"Does that mean she's…" Anna started.

Chase sighed, then looked up sincerely.

"She will be if I don't operate immediately."

"So…"

ROB stepped forward.

"Confirmed. The only chance Katt has for survival is if the shrapnel is surgically removed."

'Oh, God." Anna said, covering her mouth her hand and looking like she was about to throw up. She had been hemophobic since she was eleven. The mere mention of blood made her want to throw up.

"…if it'll save her life, then do it!" Marcus said.

"OK. Don't worry, I'm a trained professional." Chase said as he slipped on a pair of latex gloves.

He looked at them.

"You guys might wanna leave. If you're any bit like Anna, you probably don't wanna see this."

Everyone got up and left…except Falco.

"Falco, you too." Chase said.

Falco shook his head.

"I'm not gonna leave her…not again."

Falco took Katt's hand. Her face stopped straining and she looked at him with weak and frightened eyes.

"Falco…" she said quietly."…I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

A tear fell from Falco's eye. It was the first time he had cried in forty years.

"No…you're not." he said. "You'll live, because I'm gonna stay with you this time and tough it out with you. You're not alone anymore. You still have so much left to live for…you can't die now."

ROB placed a mask over Katt's mouth. Sleeping gas flew into her nasal cavities. Just before she fell asleep, she said something that made Falco want her to live even more.

"Falco...I love you."

Katt's eyes closed. Falco held her hand even tighter as Chase slipped on a surgical mask, took in a few deep breathes, placed his scalpel to Katt's chest and made the first incision.

**15 minutes later**

Anna, Logan and Bill all sat anxiously in the room adjacent to the medical room, waiting to hear if Katt would be alright. Marcus was pacing up and down the room, the suspension literally driving him crazy.

Anna's eyes slowly began to well up with tears. She looked at Marcus.

"Mark?"

He stopped pacing and looked at her.

"Yes, Anna?"

"She'll be OK…right?"

Marcus looked away from her for a moment. He was just as worried about Katt as anyone else was, but he looked back at Anna, smiled and answered.

"She'll be just fine. We just need to let Chase handle this. Just…have faith, okay?"

"…..okay."

Speaking of Chase, right at that moment, the door opened. Everyone stood up. Chase was pulling off the latex gloves.

"Chase," Bill started "…is she gonna make it?"

Chase looked up. He was grinning.

"See for yourself." he said.

They slowly walked into the room. Katt was sitting up on the table, looking as healthy as ever. Falco was holding her hand.

"Katt, are you OK?" Marcus asked.

"Never better." she answered. "But…I feel…weird."

"Weird? Weird how?"

Katt felt at the blood vessels in her neck.

"Chase…did you shoot something into me?"

Chase grinned even more.

"Indeed I did." he said. "That operation was the perfect time for me to test out the strength-enhancing hormone I was developing. If it works, you should be more than twice as strong as you were before."

Katt hopped off the table and looked at her hands. She didn't notice any difference.

"You're not bluffing, are you?" she asked

"If you don't believe me, try lifting that table." Chase said. "It weighs about 205 pounds, but you should have no trouble with it at all."

"Uhh…okay, I guess I'll give it a shot."

Katt slipped her hands underneath the table. She seemed to strain for a second as she pulled on it, when she suddenly lifted it above her head as though it were light as a feather!

"Son of a gun!" Marcus whispered.

"Impressive, huh?" Chase smirked.

Katt lowered the table back down to the ground, stood up and looked at her hands.

"This ain't natural…but I like it!" she said.

Falco stepped toward her. Katt suddenly turned around and cheerfully bear-hugged him.

"I can't believe I'm still alive!" she cheered.

"Whoa, hang on a second! Calm down, girl!" Falco said. "Don't underestimate your own strength!"

Katt had lifted Falco 2 feet off the ground. When she saw what she was doing, she flushed bright red.

"Uhh…oops." she said, lowering him back down.

Marcus smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Typical." he said.

"While those lovebirds chum it up," Logan said. "…we've just gotta say thanks for your help down there. We would've gotten slaughtered if you hadn't shown up."

"Don't mention it." Marcus said. "That's our job, remember?""

"We better get going." Bill said as he and Logan walked back to the hangar bay. "I'll see you tonight, Anna."

"See ya later, Dad." Anna replied.

"Chase, you stay smart, y'hear?" Logan said.

Chase smirked.

"You can bet your soul on it!"

The two soldiers got in their ships and flew back down to Katina.

"So that's your brother?" Marcus asked.

"Yep. He's a real pain in the ass sometimes, but he's a good guy nonetheless."

"I can well imagine."

"Hey! Are you two done in there?" Anna called.

Katt and Falco stepped out of the medical room, grinning.

"I'll take that as a yes." Marcus said. "Mission accomplished, ROB. Take us home."


	12. Return of the Forever Train

CHAPTER TWELVE

**Return of the Forever Train**

**November 9****th****, 2053**

**Macbeth Freight yard, Planet Macbeth**

The _Great Fox_ slowly descended into the smoky atmosphere of the mining planet of Macbeth. The team had been assigned to locate a Venomian freight train that was supposedly carrying a very large supply of nuclear weaponry to supply depot on the other side of the planet. The mission was to destroy the train, or at least stop it, before it could reach the depot. Anna's planetary scans had also revealed that there was a fuel bunker near the depot that could strike a heavy blow to the Venomians if it was destroyed as well.

"This ain't the first time we've been assigned to blow something up." Marcus said as the _Landmaster_ he was in slowly lowered itself to the ground.

"When you think about it, we ARE some pretty good demolitions experts." Katt chuckled.

"How's everything going up there, gang? Any bogies in range?"

"No, not yet." Falco said.

The other four were flying overhead in their Arwings

"OK, that train shouldn't be too far ahead." Anna said. "Let's find it fast."

"Hey Falco. Weren't you and my dad assigned to this same mission a while back." Marcus asked.

"Yep. But how they rebuilt that monstrosity of a train, I'll never know." Falco replied. "It's no wonder they call it the 'Forever Train.'"

Marcus rolled his eyes.

"That's all we need." he said sarcastically.

Suddenly, a low, rumbling noise could be heard across the barren landscape. Marcus laid his foot down on the boost pedal and rocketed forward. 20 feet to his left was a railroad track. On the railroad was the caboose of a massive train that seemed to stretch on for miles.

"I've spotted the train!" Marcus called as he proceeded toward the train. "I'm commencing my attack run now!"

Marcus could hear the train driver muttering to himself on the comm in a heavy Texas accent.

"Here come the little hyenas now." he grumbled.

The train slowed down a little. The car directly next to the _Landmaster_ was carrying a heavy load of boulders.

"Here you go!" the driver said as the bucket tipped over.

Marcus slammed his foot on the boost pedal and shot forward away from the falling rocks. The driver chuckled.

"You're not takin' me too seriously, are you, kid?"

Suddenly, lasers began coming down like rain.

"Enemy fighters have begun their attack run!" Katt shouted, barrel-rolling away from one of the enemy's trajectories.

"Take offensive action! Look alive, everybody!" Marcus ordered.

Marcus aimed the tank's cannon at the cars containing the carefully shot the links connecting them to the cars further up.

"Not bad, kid. Not bad at all." the driver chuckled.

"I'll show you not bad!" Marcus grumbled.

Marcus launched a smart bomb that just barely missed the train.

"Explosives, eh?" the driver said. "Well, two can play at that game!"

The car nearest to the _Landmaster_ suddenly extended a long robotic arm that carefully aimed at and locked onto it.

"How 'bout this?" the driver said.

A grenade flew from the gun on the arm. Marcus barrel-rolled out of the way of the explosive, and after shaking the stars out of his eyes, he fired another smart bomb.

"Jeez, he's tougher than he looks!" Marcus growled under his breath.

The arm launched another grenade. This one was detonated in mid-air by one of Falco's lasers.

"Need some help down there?" he asked.

"I'd appreciate it, thanks." Marcus replied.

Falco swerved his ship down towards the gun car and fired a smart bomb into the gun's barrel. The arm collapsed, causing the train to slow down even more.

"Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!" Falco cheered.

The train driver growled.

"Damn! Detach the rear vehicle!"

The gun car's link fell apart, and the rain started to speed up again. Marcus was about to slam on the boost to chase after it, when more lasers rained down, blocking his line of sight.

"Just shoot 'em, Mark!" Anna said impatiently.

Marcus aimed the cannon toward the smoky sky and started blasting at the enemy units. One of his lasers managed to knock off the wings on one enemy, which started plummeting to the ground and landed dangerously close to the _Landmaster_.

"Hmm…pretty good chasers, aren't ya?" the driver muttered. "Step on the gas!"

With that, the train sped up. A mining facility was near the area that the two vehicles were fast approaching. When they passed between two massive buildings, a swarm of bogies flew at Marcus.

"Incoming!" Chase yelled.

Marcus turned on the Multi-Lock and easily blasted down the enemy units.

"Watch out!" Falco hollered.

Several boulders came rolling at Marcus at high speed. Marcus pressed down both pedals and pulled up on the steering control. The _Landmaster_ rose up a few feet, enough to hover over the boulders. Suddenly, another gun car further up on the train fired at a wall. More boulders fell from the wall and blocked the _Landmaster_'s path.

"OK, not a problem." Marcus said calmly.

He launched a smart bomb, blowing all the rocks to pieces. Marcus laid his foot on the boost pedal, when suddenly his stomach lurched as the _Landmaster_ fell into a thirty-foot deep trench. Up above, the train moved along a bridge constructed of concrete and titanium.

"Heh heh!" the driver laughed. "You kids ain't in Kansas anymore!"

"Kansas? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Marcus said.

"That's not a terribly good comparison, is it?" asked Anna.

Putting the driver's poor comparison aside, Marcus looked for a way out of the trench. Almost fifty feet away, he spotted a slope that led up to a tunnel connected to the bridge. He stepped on the gas and shot forward underneath the bridge when Falco swooped down with about three bogies on his tail.

"Man, am I gettin' slow?" Falco grumbled.

Marcus locked on to Falco's pursuers and let fly with multiple charged shots, sending them catapulting into a wall.

"I guess I should be thankful…" Falco muttered.

More boulders feel from the wall. The _Landmaster_ easily shot ahead and avoided blocked by them. Finally, the tank charged up the slope and was now rolling on the railroad, the train just a mere twenty feet ahead.

"Ha! Thought you could hide from me, eh?" Marcus shouted triumphantly.

The driver chuckled again, just as the rear car entered the tunnel.

"What's wrong? Come a little closer!"

"Don't try my patience, bub!" Marcus shot back.

"Be careful!" Anna warned. "It might be a trap!"

Marcus paid no attention. The tunnel was the only way through, so he stepped on the boost and shot forward. Just as the rear car passed a hole in the wall, two steel bars started crisscrossing across the tracks.

"Oh, for the love of Pete!" Marcus shouted.

He floored the boost pedal and shot between the bars just before they closed. As the train went through the tunnel's exit, more bars blocked the path instantly.

"Try hovering!" Anna called.

Sure enough, the _Landmaster_ was able to hover right over the bars. Up ahead, a switcher kept the track going on a straight path. But as soon as the train went off that particular area, the switch flipped and a massive, translucent force field appeared in front of the _Landmaster_ and blocked its path.

"See ya along down the road…or maybe not!" the driver laughed.

"Son of a bitch! That jackass was planning ahead!" Falco growled.

"And now he's gettin' away! Grrr!" Marcus said angrily.

"Calm down!" Anna said. "There's another track that connects to where the train is heading. It's just off to your right."

Thankfully, she was right. Another set of tracks was twenty feet away from where the _Landmaster_ was.

"Okay. I'm headed that way now." Marcus said, turning the vehicle in that direction.

The _Landmaster_ continued to rumble along the rough surface of the planet, following track after track as it went. A few minutes later, Marcus could see a few fifty-foot tall smokestacks ahead of him. He looked at the top of one of them for a quick second. Paying no attention, he turned his head, but turned it back when he thought he saw something moving one top of one.

The sight he saw nearly made his heart stop. A figure was standing on top of the smokestack, glaring down at him.

A figure with blood-red demonic eyes, blue and white fur, and long, dark violet hair.

Marcus shook his head and looked again. There was nothing there.

"Mark, what's wrong?" Chase asked.

Marcus' thoughts plummeted back to the ground with a thud.

"I…I thought I saw something…"

In one of the most random times imaginable, Marcus had caught a split second glance of Kursed. He was wide awake this time, so either he was just seeing things or Kursed was stalking him.

But that was impossible. She wasn't real anymore…was she?

"We better hurry up." Falco started. "It's only a matter of time before that train gets to the…JEEZ LAWEEZ, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

Marcus looked forward and nearly soiled his pants. A gigantic crevice stood in front of him, the tracks arching down inside with various curves, back turns and loop-de-loops. It was like the whole railroad had turned into a psychopath's idea of a roller coaster!

"What kind of idiot could possibly have been stupid enough to make THAT?" Katt exclaimed.

"Guess I'm in for one helluva ride, huh?" Marcus said.

"Are you nuts? That's suicide!" Chase said.

"Does it look like we have another choice?"

Chase shut his mouth. Marcus smirked.

"I thought so." he said smugly.

"Mark, before you do anything stupid, get on the tracks and turn on the Magnetic Treads!" Anna said.

The _Landmaster_ rolled onto the titanium tracks. Marcus hit a silver button next to the bomb button, and the _Landmaster_'s treads became magnetically charged.

"But remember! Just because the treads are charged doesn't mean you won't fall off if you're not careful!" Chase warned.

"Relax, man." Marcus said. "I've got this…I hope."

The _Landmaster_ approached the edge of the cliff and slowly tilted downward, shooting down the tracks at a speed it couldn't accumulate by itself. All of Marcus' fur stood on end as the tank rumbled and shook. The _Landmaster_ reached the bottom of the 90 degree angle and flew forward down a straight path. As it made a turn, the left side slowly began tilting toward the pit.

"No you don't!" Marcus growled, grabbing the steering control and jamming it to the right.

The _Landmaster_ leveled out and kept on rolling Over and over, it made sharp turns, and over and over, Marcus had to jam the steering console in the opposite direction to keep from falling to an early (but under no circumstances well-deserved) grave.

Suddenly, the track began to tilt up.

"Oh, no! Not a loop!" Marcus panicked.

The _Landmaster_ shot up along the loop, hung upside-down on the track for a split second, and finally shot back down the track, up one final slope and out of the crevice.

"Phew! You made it!" Falco sighed.

"Urgh…more or less…"Marcus groaned, covering his mouth. "…oh, dear Lord."

Marcus opened the hatch, stuck his head out the door and lost his lunch. After the unbelievable nauseous feeling had passed, Marcus closed the hatch.

"Hating this!" he shouted. "Regretting being the leader here!"

Suddenly, Marcus' ears pricked up when he heard the train rumbling along. He looked to his left and sure enough, there it was.

"Gotcha now!" he triumphantly shouted, laying his foot on the boost pedal.

"Grrr! You runts are harder to get rid of than cockroaches!" the driver shouted.

"I see the fuel bunker!" Katt shouted. "Right side, thirty clicks north!"

"Change the switch ahead!" Anna shouted.

Marcus looked up. An odd-looking beacon was ten feet ahead of him.

"Shoot it, Mark!" Anna said.

He did. The light on the beacon changed from red to green.

"Shoot the other nine switches to open the lock!"

Barrel-rolling to the left (and nearly throwing up again), Marcus avoided a grenade from another gun car. Falco swooped down and blasted the gun's fuel tank, causing the whole car to explode.

"I guess it's your turn to be thankful." Falco cockily said.

Another switch was positioned up on a wall. Marcus locked onto it and hit it with a charged shot.

More boulders rolled out of a bucket and into Marcus' path.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Marcus grumbled.

Katt and Anna swooped down and blaster the rocks out of Marcus' path.

"There you go!" Katt said.

Marcus laid his foot on the boost pedal and shot the third switch, which was just off to the right.

"Pretty randomly placed, aren't they?" he thought.

The fourth and fifth switches were directly next to each other, on a radio tower extending about thirty feet high. They were taken care of easily by Chase and Falco.

Suddenly, a loud hissing noise came from the front car (Only three twenty-foot long cars remained: the front, the coal car and the car holding the nuclear weaponry). Marcus growled.

"Now what?"

A gigantic droid with a scoop-like tail and metal plate wings rose out of the car. It was connected to the car by a long cable.

"I didn't expect to have to use THIS!" the driver said, a tone of triumph in his voice. "You're very lucky."

"How does having to face a giant droid make us lucky? Is it full of cash or something? In that case, let me in on some action!" Chase mocked.

Marcus looked to his left on the other side of the train and spotted the sixth switch. He shot it.

"Time to lure these guys to the front." the driver muttered to himself.

A few loud beeps came from Chase's analyzer.

"Enemy shield gauge coming up…NOW!"

A meter appeared in Marcus' monitor.

"Don't worry about the droid!" Anna shouted. "Focus on getting the rest of those switches, and you'll take it down in one shot!"

The droid rose ten feet higher and threw down wooden spears that were as thick as pine trees.

"…you were saying?" Marcus said.

A smart bomb took enough of the spears for Marcus to get past. The seventh switch was just ahead, but the droid threw down more spears and blocked the eighth one.

Marcus shot Switch 7.

"I'm here to rescue you!" Falco cheered as he swooped down and blasted Switch 8.

"Yeesh, what is he all of a sudden, my freakin' bodyguard?" Marcus thought.

Suddenly, the droid scooped up the _Landmaster_. It slowly began to crush the tank in its tail. Marcus barrel-rolled a few times and got free. As the tank fell, he spotted the ninth switch up on a tower and shot it. The _Landmaster_ hit the ground with a crash, but it kept on rolling.

Marcus spotted the tenth switch next to what looked like a circuit breaker. He boosted toward, when the droid began hurling small bombs at him.

"Y'know what? Screw this! Mr. Nice Guy's officially retired!" Marcus hollered.

Marcus locked onto the tail and blasted a smart bomb at it. The tail instantly fell to pieces, and Marcus shot Switch 10.

"OK, now shoot the switcher!" Anna shouted.

The circuit break opened and a lever appeared. Marcus shot the lever and it lowered.

"Good goin', Mark!" Anna cheered.

The tracks ahead of the train shifted to another railroad that ran straight to the fuel bunker, and now the train was headed for it at high speed!

"NO!" the driver shouted. "Hit the brakes!"

The front wheels stopped and immediately began screeching and throwing sparks up. But no matter how hard he tried, the driver couldn't stop the train as it sped towards the bunker.

Marcus stopped the _Landmaster_, making sure he was well out of range of what was about to happen.

"I can't stop it!" the driver screamed.

The train's remaining three cars flew into a large opening and made an earth shaking crash. For a second, all was quiet, then suddenly…

KA-BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The entire bunker exploded into billions of pieces and cracked the ground in a heavy earthquake.

"YEAH! BURN, BABY, BURN!" Marcus cheered.

"I'm sure we hurt 'em this time!" Falco shouted.

"I can see the looks on their stupid faces." Anna laughed.

"Now it's our turn to kick some ass!" Chase hollered.

"Heh. Those bastards don't stand a chance." Katt smirked.

Marcus smirked as all his teammates cheered, but suddenly his body grew cold and numb. His teammates' voices grew faint, and all else was drowned out by a cold, sinister voice in his head.

"Marcus, you can't hide from me forever. Inside of you, there lies something that I've been drawn to since the day you were born."

Marcus started breathing heavily. First he had seen Kursed and now she was talking to him from inside his head! What was next?

"Give into the darkness. Submit to it, and let yourself drown in it." she whispered.

Marcus winced and his tail fidgeted. That voice made him want to close his eyes and never open them ever again.

"Come back to me…and become a part of me." Kursed said.

Marcus shook his head.

"No! Leave me alone!" he shouted.

Falco heard Marcus screaming at himself.

"Mark, what's wrong?" he asked.

Marcus suddenly, pulled himself together. The cold, numb feeling was gone. He could hear the team's voices again.

"…nothing….I'm…I'm alright." he stammered.

"Let's get outta here and report back to Peppy." Katt said.

**9:30 p.m.**

Marcus sat on his bed, thinking hard about what he had heard back on Macbeth. It had scared the living daylights out of him, and now he didn't want to go to sleep, fearing that he'd have another nightmare about Kursed. Even then he knew she wasn't real…at least, that's what he thought.

What had she meant when she said "Become a part of me."? That was the thing that scared Marcus the most about what she had said. But the scariest thing was her origin.

Marcus picked up a picture next to his bed. It was a family photo that had been taken when he was three years old. In it, he, Fox and Krystal all sat on the couch, smiling and hugging each other.

He stared at his mother's soul-piercing, deep blue eyes. Her very gaze seemed to comfort him…as though she'd come out of it, reach out and hug him. But still, Marcus found it hard to believe that a creature as gentle as Krystal was once a monster as ferocious as Kursed. Not only hard to believe, but frightening as well.

Then Marcus looked at his father. Fox was the bravest man Marcus knew, and he knew that Fox would give anything to protect his family and friends. In fact, it seemed like the only fear that he had was losing someone close to him, because the pain would too unbearable to think about.

Suddenly, Marcus' door opened. Turning his head, Marcus saw Fox standing in the doorway.

"Oh…hey, Dad." Marcus said.

He noticed that Fox had a glass of water in his hand.

"You looked a little parched so I brought you something to drink." Fox said as he came into the room

"Thanks."

Fox handed Marcus the glass. Marcus took a drink.

"Is something bothering you, sport?" Fox asked. "You didn't seem very talkative at dinner."

Marcus sighed.

"You must have dumped her pretty hard." he said.

"Huh?"

"Well…you know."

Fox laughed.

"Oh, that. Let's just say your mother's what you'd call 'sensitive'"

"Yeah…and her alter-ego is out to get me…"

"Eh?"

"Kursed. She spoke to me telepathically. She said…"

Fox cut him off.

"Sport, calm down. Kursed doesn't exist." he said.

"But…I heard her…AND saw her!"

"I think the fumes down there must have gotten to you."

"I think he's telling the truth." a voice said from the door.

It was Krystal.

"Fox, remember when I came home and you saw me cutting my hair and washing out the dye in it?" she asked.

"Yeah…then there was this weird rushing sound." Fox replied. "Why?"

"I know I should have told you this before, but that was an exorcism ritual that was practiced on my home planet. If you make yourself look more like you than the being inside you, and then recite a certain incantation, you become yourself again. When I did that, I separated Kursed from my body."

"Then does that mean…Kursed is a whole other person now? She has her own body?" Marcus asked.

"I'm afraid so. Now, what EXACTLY did she say to you?" Krystal asked.

"She said 'Come back to me and become a part of me.' Thing is I don't know what the devil she's talking about!"

Krystal thought over what Marcus had said and came up with a possible answer. She didn't like it.

"I don't mean to scare you…but when she said that, she literally means she wants you to become a part of her. In other words, she wants to absorb your soul."

Marcus began to panic.

"You mean...spiritually speaking…eat me, don't you?"

Krystal scratched the back of her head.

"Err…yes."

Marcus got a nauseous feeling on the pit of his stomach.

"I think I'm gonna throw up." he said, sweat breaking out on his head.

"Hey, don't let that bother you, Marcus." Fox said. (If Krystal believed Marcus, then Fox had to, as well) "She won't be able to touch as long as we're around. We won't let her come anywhere near you."

"We'll make sure that we're here to keep you safe. That's our job as your parents." Krystal said, touching Marcus' face.

Marcus looked up at Krystal.

"Wait…I get it now. She got me in that nightmare and on Macbeth…because you weren't there. She can't touch me if you're near me!" he said to her.

"She fears me because she was once a part of me, so she knows I can destroy her." Krystal said.

"But I'm barely ever near you nowadays!"

"Marcus, it's okay." Krystal said, smiling at him. "You're a big boy. You can fight for yourself."

Marcus grimaced.

"Great! I made myself sound like a freakin' baby again!"

The three McClouds all laughed. With that laugh, Marcus knew he would have the protection of his loving mother and father with him wherever he went.

Fox and Krystal hugged their son, then stood up to leave.

"Sweet dreams, Marcus." Krystal said, smiling in a cute sort of way.

"See you in the morning, sport." Fox said, giving Marcus a thumbs-up.

Marcus grinned.

"Good night."

His door closed. He lay down on his bed, smiled and closed his eyes. He didn't care if Kursed was after him anymore. He knew his parents would always be there for him.

Little did he know that Kursed was closer than he realized. She gazed through the window at Marcus, who was now fast asleep.

She grunted.

"Sweet dreams, indeed." she whispered. "They'll be the last ones you have in a long time, tattletale."

_Dun dun duuuuuuuuuun! So maybe Marcus is a little further up shit creek than he thinks! __Anyway, I promised in the previous update that I'd bring enlightment on some more of my projects, so in these notes, I shall say all._

_In terms of any other fanfiction, a Darkstalkers fanfiction from me is currently in the fetal stages so to speak. It involves pairing Morrigan Aensland with an original character (kind of like what I've done in this story), and makes crossovers with other Capcom franchises, notably Street Fighter and Mega Man. I won't say much more about it because it'll take too long and I'll spoil it, and it's not coming out for a while, so don't hold your breath._

_As for the stuff I can use to make money, there are four projects. I don't want to give away too much but here's what I'll say: they can be summed up in math equations._

_Scott Pilgrim + School of Rock = Subdivisions_

_Rosario+Vampire + Dante's Inferno + Tekken(or Soulcalibur. Your schoice) = Soul Embrace_

_Xenoblade + Zelda = Glory Waters_

_Rosario+Vampire + Tekken + American Pie = G.E.N.E._

_I may say more in the future but for now, just run with that as long as you can, and to quote one of the above films, I will see you cats on the flip-flop later!_


	13. Start Your Engines!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

**Start Your Engines!**

**November 14****th****, 2053**

**McCloud's House**

The doorbell rang. Marcus yelped and his head shot up. The bell rang again. He checked his bedside clock. It was 10:30 in the morning.

He frowned. He really hated getting up early in the morning if it wasn't for something important.

"This had better be good." he grumbled.

He opened the door and slid down the banister.

"I got it!" he called into the kitchen.

Marcus grabbed the doorknob and opened the front door. Chase was standing there, doubled over.

"Chase? What are you doin' here so early? It's not even 11:00!"

The young Toad took a moment to catch is breath, then he stood up.

"First off, nice jammies." he said.

Marcus looked down at the clothes he had worn to bed (A black shirt with a large, golden triad on it and a pair of black pajama pants that had the same triads stenciled all over it, along with the words "_The Legend of Zelda_" on one leg.)

Marcus sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I've got Zelda fanboyism. What's up?"

"Trust me; this is important."

Chase thrust a newspaper clipping into Marcus' hands.

"That was in today's paper. Read it."

Marcus heaved out a sigh. looked at the clipping and began to read it aloud. Fox and Krystal looked at the clipping over his shoulder.

"Attention Cornerian speed demons." Marcus read. "The F-Zero Grand Prix will be coming to Corneria on November 16th. Racers from across the cosmos will be on Corneria the day before the race. If you have a vehicle that's fast, durable, and has a great grip on the road, come to the Cornerian Global Raceway and register your racer ASAP. The winner will receive 100,000 Cornerian dollars and a top-of-the-line manufactured Mach 4 speed converter for their vehicle! Admission fee is fifty dollars. Entries must be made one day prior to race day."

Marcus looked up from the clipping.

"Oh…my…God!" he said.

"Those converters are backwards-compatible on space fighters, too!" Chase said. "If you can win that race, I can duplicate the converter and add it onto our Arwings!"

"100,000…" Marcus muttered.

"Hey, I think Dad actually once entered that to get some extra cash for the team. I gotta say, he was pretty good." Fox said.

"100,000…"

"That sounds like a whole lot of fun! Just imagine how intense that would be!" Krystal said.

"100,000!"

He thrust his arms up in the air and screamed, "I'm in!"

"Whoa, hang on there, buddy!" Fox spoke up. "This is F-Zero we're talking about. It's no walk in the park. No one ever gets out of there without a few bumps and bruises."

"Besides," Krystal added. "There's tons of racers with unbelievable experience that compete in that race every year. There's legendary racers like Black Shadow, Pico, Mr. EAD…not to mention the most famous of them all: Captain Falcon!"

Marcus stopped in his tracks when he heard that final name. Douglas Jay Falcon, or simply Captain Falcon, was one of the greatest bounty hunters and F-Zero racers of all time He never missed the chance to race a formidable opponent. His machine, the _Blue Falcon_, had unsurpassed speed and grip. Plus, Falcon had never lost a race or missed a bounty in his life. In fact, the only bounty hunter that was better than him was the alien-raised Samus Aran, but she lived in a galaxy that no Lylat denizen had ever managed to reach, even at light speed.

Marcus clenched his fist. He had to at least try. Even if Falcon was there he still had a chance of winning and obtaining global fame. (Not that he didn't have that already)

Besides, he wasn't going to let one guy intimidate him into chickening out.

"Well, it's worth a shot, isn't it?" he said.

Everyone else stopped for a second, then grinned.

"He still has the guts he's famous for." Fox chuckled.

"Okay." Krystal said. "But we're going to help you. Chase, I think it would be a good idea if you brought Slippy down to help."

Both boys shot their arms in the air.

"Yeah!" they cheered.

**1 hour later**

"An F-Zero machine, huh?" Slippy asked when Marcus told him his idea. "Sounds like an interesting project."

"Is that a yes?" Marcus asked.

Slippy grinned and nodded.

"You rock, Dad! You rock!" Chase cheered.

They were standing in the McClouds' massive garage. No one really did anything there, but it was where they kept their hovercrafts and tools if they ever needed them.

"I brought over a spare Arwing hull." Slippy said, jerking his thumb at the open garage door. "I was gonna take it to be recycled, but it looks like we've found another use for it!"

Fox clapped his hands together.

"Alright! Bring 'er in and let's get to work!

"Hang on a sec, Fox!" Slippy warned. "You guys have a whole buncha loose clothing on. You should put on something tighter before we start."

"We took that in mind before you came." Marcus said.

With that, the McClouds pulled off their T-shirts. Fox and Marcus both wore muscle shirts (Fox's black, Marcus' navy blue), while Krystal had on a pink tank top. She pulled a bandana out of her pocket and tied it around her hair to keep it out of her eyes.

Chase's mouth dropped when he got a load of Krystal. Marcus rolled his eyes and poked his friend's forehead.

"First Katt and now my mom?" Marcus said. "Next I suppose you're gonna go all ga-ga on Samus Aran!"

Chase shook his head.

"Sorry."

He threw off his jacket and fedora, then grabbed a welding torch off the wall.

"OK, Dad. Bring it in and let's get crackin'."

Slippy pulled the Arwing hull into the room. Everyone grabbed a tool and got started.

**2 and a half hours later**

Marcus hammered down one last metal plate on the fuselage before falling flat on his butt. Fox doubled over, panting. Krystal took off her bandana and swiped her hand across her forehead.

"Jeez, I haven't worked this hard since we redesigned the _Great Fox_!" Chase said.

Marcus stood back a little bit. It was starting to look more like an F-Zero machine than an Arwing. They had straightened the wings out and added an engine, rocket thrusters and a low-frequency G-Diffuser.

"You think we'll have it finished by tomorrow?" Marcus asked.

"We will." Fox said. "It's lookin' good so far, but it still needs a decent paint job."

Slippy hopped down from the fuselage.

"I tightened the last few screws on the engine. It still needs a little bit of work before we're done."

Suddenly, the engine threw out sparks with a loud crack. Slippy leaped back in surprise. Everyone else was looking at him with awkward looks on their faces.

"…We can fix that." Slippy said, pointing at the engine.

Everyone groaned.

**2 hours later**

Marcus slowly touched the flames from the welding torch to the engine and pieced on an extra plate to the metal frame. It stuck firmly. He threw off the welding mask, turned off the torch, shut the door on the fuselage and everyone stood back to admire their finished work.

The machine had a twin-turbine engine, Magnum 8 rocket thrusters, a titanium-alloy hull and a G-Diffuser system with a minimal output. It looked relatively like an Arwing, except the bottom was flat, the cannons had been removed and the wings were pointed straight back instead of out on an angle.

"Now THAT'S some quality engineering!" Marcus said, crossing his arms and smirking.

Slippy grabbed a gas container, opened the fuel tank and poured about five liters of petroleum into the opening.

"She's all set!" Slippy said, stepping back. "Go ahead, Mark! Give 'er a whirl!"

Marcus opened the cockpit and carefully pressed the ignition button. The engine roared to life and the machine rose a few inches off the ground.

"YES!" Marcus cheered. "It works!"

Fox and Krystal stood next to their son and smiled.

"She's ready to win, kiddo!" Fox said.

"But making something as nifty as this sure is thirsty work!" Krystal said, reaching in and turning off the machine with a single flick of her wrist. "Let's go inside and have something to drink."

Everyone followed Krystal inside. Marcus took a second to look back at their work. He smiled.

"…I kinda wish someone was playing 'We Are the Champions' right now." he said to himself.

He rolled his eyes with a smirk on his face and shut the door.

**12:00 a.m.**

Marcus' eyes flew open. It was dark.

"Time to work on that machine!" he whispered to himself.

He climbed out of bed, reached underneath it and pulled out a can of crystalline blue paint, then carefully crept over to his door and opened it. Out in the hall, Marcus listened at his parents' door. He could hear their sleepy breathing inside the room.

"Sleep tight, you guys." Marcus whispered.

He tiptoed down the stairs, through the corridor and into the garage. He shut the door and turned on the light. Marcus grabbed the two things he needed: a paint sprayer and a gas mask. He locked the can of paint into the sprayer, fit the mask over his head and stepped over to his F-Zero machine.

Carefully, he shook the paint sprayer to loosen up the paint a little. When he was ready, he pulled the trigger and a thin layer of crystalline blue paint sprayed on the hull.

**1 and a half hours later**

The paint had dried and now the entire machine was sparkling with color. Marcus still didn't take off the gas mask. He wasn't finished just yet. He grabbed a thin, long sheet of paper and brought it over to the computer scanner.

He laid the paper flat out on the scanner, then logged on to the printing program on the computer. After adjusting the width and the length, Marcus placed a text box into the picture and thought of a name.

Only one thing came to mind at that moment. He smiled and typed in a few letters, then hit the Print button. When the decal was finished, Marcus picked it up, jogged over to his machine and laid the paper on a good spot on the fuselage. After a good three minutes, he tore the paper back. The words "Crystal Vixen" were clearly visible in white paint.

Marcus stood back and admired his handiwork.

"Watch out, Falcon!" he said, clenching his fist. "Here comes Marcus!"

**2 days later**

"OK, no one told me that almost everyone in the race was a human." Marcus whispered to Chase as they walked through the stands

It was race day. Slippy had picked the boys and the _Crystal Vixen_ early and brought then to the track to get ready, but Marcus was more concerned about who he was up against.

Almost everyone there was a strange creature with no fur on them except on the top of their heads, though some had it on their faces. Their ears were on the sides of their heads instead of on top, and none of them had tails.

"Just try to focus, Mark." Chase said. "Let's face it: you're sort of a newbie at this."

"Yeah…don't remind me." Marcus said.

Suddenly, someone bumped into Marcus.

"Whoops. Sorry about that." the man said as he stepped around Marcus.

The man wore yellow gloves, a pair of golden greaves, a navy blue jacket, and a red helmet with a golden falcon placed on the top.

"Wonder who that was." Marcus questioned.

"OK, just so you remember, I can send you the map data, but any other radio contact is prohibited." Chase said, walking over the rules. "If you go out of bounds, you're immediately disqualified. And, obviously, no weapons."

"Gotcha." Marcus replied.

"OK, I'm headin' up to the stands. Good luck."

Chase ran off. As soon as he was out of earshot, Marcus rolled his eyes.

"That's all I need." he muttered.

"Psst." a voice whispered.

Marcus turned toward the voice.

"W-who said that?" he asked.

"Out here." the voice called quietly.

Marcus stepped behind the massive 300-foot tall bleachers. He looked around. No one was there.

"Perfect! Now I'm hearin' things!" he grumbled.

Suddenly, Marcus felt a rush of wind behind him and a hand on his shoulder.

"Bang." someone coyly whispered into his ear.

For a second, Marcus nearly screamed, thinking that Kursed had already caught up with him. But then he recognized the voice. It wasn't Kursed. It was Coyote!

Marcus turned. The young O'Donnell stood there smiling at him.

"Will wonders never cease." Marcus said, a big grin across his face.

"So you're an F-Zero racer now, I see."

"Yeah. Big cash prize and a Mach 4 converter."

"I didn't mean to scare you, y'know."

"Ah, don't sweat it. But why did you come?"

Coyote smiled again and gently pinched his cheek.

"I guess I just wanted to cheer you on." she said. "After all, I still owe you, right?"

"Uhh…sure. Thanks."

She slyly winked at him as she released his face.

"Good luck, tiger." she said before turning and running away.

"Hey, wait!" Marcus called after her.

Suddenly, Coyote performed a ninja-like jump and disappeared.

"Always on the move." Marcus grumbled. "…'tiger'?"

The announcer's voice blared over the microphone.

"Welcome, everyone, to the F-Zero Grand Prix!"

Everyone in the bleachers cheered.

"Well, here goes nothin'." Marcus said, running back to the entryway.

"And now, here they are! Our F-Zero racers!"

The 32 F-Zero racers walked out of the entryway. Everyone started cheering even louder. The announcer started introducing the racers.

"Introducing the grand master of the Red Canyon, in #5, the _Fire Stingray_…SAMURAI GOROH!"

A very muscular man wearing a vest and a bandana shot his arms up. More cheering. Marcus didn't catch many more names, but he did hear…

"Here comes the Sureshot Surgeon, in #3, the _Golden Fox_…DOCTOR STEWART!"

A man in a yellow jumpsuit with spiky hair held up one hand, accepting the applause.

"Announcing the Dark Ruler of the Track, in #30, the _Black Bull_…BLACK SHADOW!"

A sinister man wearing a black mask over his face and a long black cape pumped his fist. Not a shocker to what happened next.

"And now…the Grand Champion of F-Zero racing, the Bird of Bounty himself, in #7, the _Blue Falcon_…CAPTAIN FALCON!"

The man who Marcus had bumped into earlier saluted the crowd. They cheered as though the world was going to end.

"So THAT'S Captain Falcon." Marcus thought.

"But now, ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to our two newest racers. First, in #31, the _Zebes Dagger_, is…a racer that did not provide a name. Well, no matter. Let's hear it for her, folks!"

Everyone cheered. The woman in front of Marcus accepted the applause. She was wearing a black leather jumpsuit, along with a biker helmet to hide her face. Whoever it was, it wasn't Coyote. She was too tall and she didn't have a tail.

"And secondly, we have the leader of Corneria's own Star Fox team, in #32, the _Crystal Vixen_…MARCUS JAMES MCCLOUD!"

Marcus was bewildered when he heard his full name on the speaker, but overjoyed just the same. He threw his fist up. Everyone cheered. He could see his parents and the rest of the Star Fox team cheering, as well. Several girls (some of them even human girls) were swooning.

"Alright, racers! Start your engines!"

Every one of the racers ran to their machines. Marcus jumped into the _Crystal Vixen_ and closed the cockpit door. He looked to his right and saw Captain Falcon sitting in the _Blue Falcon_, which was directly next to the _Crystal Vixen_. Cap was grinning and giving Marcus a thumbs-up.

Marcus didn't do anything for a few seconds, but then he realized that Cap was basically saying "Good luck." He grinned back and returned the gesture. Then he locked his eyes on the road. He pressed the ignition button and the machine rose a few inches off the ground, as did all the others. A video screen lowered itself down in front of the starting line and started the countdown.

"Three!" the screen blared

Marcus grabbed the steering wheel.

"Two!"

He rested his foot on the gas pedal.

"One!"

He grinned and…

"GO!"

The thirty-two machines shot forward at 1000 km/h!

"WOOO-HOOOOO!" Marcus joyfully screamed.

The machines all rocketed down a roadway stretching over the Marianas Ocean. Marcus looked onscreen and the map appeared.

"This is where the fun begins." he said, smirking.

Up ahead was the first turn. Marcus pulled the steering wheel over to the right and turned in that direction.

Unbelievable! A perfect turn on the first run!

"Man, we did a good job makin' this thing!"

A ramp was up ahead. Marcus floored the gas pedal. The _Crystal Vixen_, as well at the other racers accelerated, flew off the ramp and landed flawlessly on the track below.

More turns up ahead. Drifting left, then right, then left again.

Suddenly, the _Crystal Vixen_ lurched forward. Marcus looked back and saw the _Death Anchor_, driven by a very odd creature named Zoda, was ramming against him, trying to knock him off-course.

"So that's the way you're gonna play it, eh?" Marcus thought. "Well, eat my dust, antenna head!"

Marcus floored the gas pedal again and shot away from his pursuer. He looked at his monitor and saw that he was only in 21st place. He groaned. Up at the front were Captain Falcon, Samurai Goroh, Black Shadow and the woman with the helmet. They were all ramming each other, trying to get into first place. Marcus needed a miracle to get all the way up there…then again, if that DID happen, he'd have a bunch of angry racers ramming his machine to oblivion.

Suddenly, his stomach lurched as his machine went up over a loop. He felt nauseous, but at a time like that, hurling seemed like the last thing he could do.

Another turn was positioned right at the end of the loop. Marcus pulled the steering wheel all the way over and navigated it like nobody's business. #6, the _Wild Goose_, wasn't so lucky. The machine swerved toward the railing, collided headlong with it and went flying over the edge into the water below.

Another ramp. Acceleration made it easy to get over it. After landing on the track below, the road curved down into a tunnel leading below the ocean's surface. Passing into the long pipe, Marcus flipped on the headlights to help him see. From the _Wild Goose_ getting catapulted off the track, he was now in 16th place. Within a second, the _Death Anchor_ was back on his tail.

"OK, seriously! Is there a big bulls-eye on my ass or something?" Marcus groaned.

He suddenly got an idea. First, he made sure he was lined up perfectly with the _Death Anchor_. Once he was sure, he slammed the brake pedal. Sure enough, the _Death Anchor_ crashed right into the _Crystal Vixen_. The impact propelled Marcus forward, while the _Death Anchor_ went flying back into a wall.

10th place. There were still two laps to go, so celebrating now was out of the question. The 30 remaining machines rose out of the pipe onto another loop and then a ramp. The ramp went left, up, right, down, then left and down again.

Suddenly, two machines (the _Queen Meteor_ and the _Golden Fox_) flew in front of Marcus.

"Aw, come on!"

The track took a sharp dove down, then back up. Another turn and they had finished Lap One.

"Go, Marcus!" Anna screamed. "You can do it!"

"C'mon, Mark!" Falco shouted.

All the Cornerians and quite a few humans all started chanting Marcus' name. Even beings from another galaxy wanted him to win!

Marcus floored the gas pedal again and managed to get in front of the _Golden Fox_. The _Queen Meteor_, however, braked and slid back toward him.

"I don't think so!" Marcus yelled.

He turned the steering wheel in a circle, causing the _Crystal Vixen_ to perform a spin attack. The impact launched the _Queen Meteor_ away and off the track.

"Three down, twenty-eight to go."

Marcus floored it again and shot forward into 8th place. Close, but not close enough. The machines went up and over the first loop. One of the other machines, the _Sonic Phantom_, swerved off to the left just as the loop ended, trying to ram into the _Blue Falcon_, which had taken the lead. Cap saw it ahead of time and drifted out of the way. The _Sonic Phantom_ crashed into a wall.

The second ramp was still easy. Delving down into the pipe again still made Marcus' stomach lurch, but nonetheless, he handled it quite easily. Passing through the pipe a second time, Marcus managed to shoot ahead of the _Black Bull_.

Suddenly, the _Zebes Dagger_ came out of nowhere and slid in front of him,

"Where did SHE come from?" Marcus thought.

He didn't have a lot of time to ponder this, as he and the _Zebes Dagger_ were now neck-and-neck. The woman inside turned her head and flipped up her visor so she could get a better look at Marcus. Marcus himself looked over at her. From the small amount of her face that he could see, she was a human with large blue eyes.

The woman seemed to smile, then slyly winked at him. Marcus didn't know whether to feel awkward or flattered, so he just shook his head and focused on the road again.

Suddenly, the _Fire Stingray_ braked back and slammed into the _Zebes Dagger_. The machines flew out of the pipe, but the _Dagger_ now had a heavy dent in the front. The _Fire Stingray_ lined itself up with the _Zebes Dagger_ on the other side of the track and started swerving toward it.

Marcus had no idea what he was thinking, but he shot between the two machines and used a spin attack to knock the _Fire Stingray_ away.

Samurai Goroh growled. Marcus heard his voice on his communicator.

"Saving the competition? That's not what a REAL man does, McCloud!"

Marcus rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Whoever said I was a man?"

As the machines made the final dive, rise and turn into Lap Three, Marcus was in 2nd place and had only one target remaining: Captain Falcon.

"Well, folks, the racers have entered the final lap, and it appears that #31 has just saved #32 from a heavy beating!"

The woman inside the _Zebes Dagger_ smiled when she heard the announcer's words

"I'll be sure to thank him later." she said to herself.

As the _Crystal Vixen_ and the _Blue Falcon_ reached the first turn, they both drifted around it. As they approached the first ramp, Marcus heard Falcon's voice on the communicator.

"First time racing, kid?" he asked.

Marcus didn't know what to say except "Yeah."

"Not bad for a beginner. But you'll have to pick up the pace if you wanna beat me."

With that, Falcon shot ahead

"Believe me; I'm just getting started!" Marcus said, grinning.

The machines went up and over the first loop. As the road straightened out, the _Black Bull_ flew out of nowhere and smashed into Marcus. The _Black Bull_ was much heavier than the _Fire Stingray_, so Marcus was utterly defenseless as he was pushed into the wall. Sparks went flying from the side of the _Crystal Vixen_ that was scraping against the steel railing. If it took much more of this, it would surely break down.

As soon as the _Black Bull_ broke away for another attack, Marcus floored the gas pedal and rocketed away. To his surprise, Marcus was still in 2nd place. Likewise, Captain Falcon was still in 1st, but not by that much.

As they entered the tunnel for the third time, Marcus caught sight of another path that no one else had taken yet. He checked the map. The path showed up on it, so technically, he wouldn't be going out of bounds if he took it. After all, shortcuts aren't prohibited. They're just frowned upon...quite frequently.

Marcus made his decision. He swerved off to the left, smashed through a sign over the path that read "DANGER! PATH UNDER CONSTRUCTION!", and shot down the pipe. Apparently, no else had seen him, because he was the only one there.

Grinning with triumph, Marcus navigated his vehicle through the pipe. He was about halfway through, when suddenly…

"Marcus…" a cold voice whispered.

Marcus' body got cold and numb again. He started shivering in fear.

"No…not again!" he panicked.

"Like it or not, I'm always here, especially when you don't see me." Kursed whispered. "I'm not a ghost, Marcus. I'm real."

"…go away!"

That was all he could say as he tore his eyes off the road and shut them tightly.

"So now you think closing your eyes will save you? Stop being such a child. It's just going to get worse the more you try to ignore it."

She wasn't lying. As Marcus continued to look away, he began to feel a burning sensation in his brain Marcus started banging his head against the steering wheel, trying to drown out Kursed's voice. All it did was give him a headache.

Back at the bleachers, Krystal could see everything that was happening on the large video screen that showed Marcus' face.

"My, oh my, folks!" the announcer said. "It seems like #31 is having some sort of nervous breakdown. He's gonna have to pull himself together before he gets hurt!"

Krystal knew what was going on.

"Oh, dear God." she said.

Fox looked at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked

Krystal looked at him.

"It's…her. She's assaulting his mind again."

Quickly, Krystal touched her hands to her ears and closed her eyes.

"What's she doing?" Katt asked.

"My guess is she's establishing a mind link with Marcus." Falco replied.

Anyone who had Krystal's DNA in their blood could have a mind link established with her, meaning she and that person could talk to each other telepathically. Since her DNA had a special code inside it, this obviously meant that she could only use it on Fox and Marcus.

Back in the _Crystal Vixen_, Marcus was still cowering in fear, his eyes shut tightly, when he heard his mother's voice.

"Marcus! Marcus, can you hear me?" she said.

"Mom? Is that you?" Marcus asked.

"Calm down. Everything's going to be alright. Keep your eyes on the road."

Marcus heard Kursed growl.

"You! Damn you, you filthy traitor! Don't get in my way or you'll share this little brat's fate!"

"That's my son you're talking about, you heartless wench! Now shut up and leave him alone, or you're gonna have to deal with me!" Krystal retorted

Kursed grunted.

"Fine. You win for now…but trust me; leaving me in the dirt was the biggest mistake of your pathetic life!"

The voices stopped. Marcus opened his eyes and saw that he was careening straight at a large, broken, steel I-beam that was bigger than the _Crystal Vixen_.

"Uh oh!" Marcus exclaimed.

Suddenly, a streak of blue locked onto one side of the _Crystal Vixen_ and straightened it out. As Marcus started driving down the track again, he looked at the thing that had just saved him. It was the _Blue Falcon_!

"Follow me, kid." Captain Falcon said from inside the machine.

Falcon swerved of to the left. Marcus followed. A bright circle of light indicated the end of the tunnel. The two machines shot out the end and landed at the front of the pack.

"Let's wrap this up nice and smoothly." Falcon said.

Marcus nodded. Both machines flew forward.

"And thanks to some heroic efforts by Captain Falcon," the announcer said. '#31 has made it out in one piece. As the _Blue Falcon_ and the _Crystal Vixen_ approach the finish line, they're neck-and-neck!"

The finish line was just in sight. Marcus had already pushed the gas pedal all the way down. So had Falcon.

"And the winner is…"

The two machines rocketed past the finish line and immediately came to a stop. A snapshot appeared. The announcer looked carefully at it and saw that the winner, who had won by just barely an inch, was…

"Marcus!"

The crowd went wild. Marcus hopped out of the _Crystal Vixen_ and looked at the leader-board. He was at the top. Captain Falcon was 2nd. The woman in the _Zebes Dagger_ was 3rd.

"Wha…I won?" he stammered.

Fox and Krystal ran out on to the track and hugged Marcus so tightly he felt like his head would pop off.

"That's my boy!" Fox cheered.

"You did it, sweetheart!" Krystal said, with joyful tears in her eyes.

"I guess we're all surprised, then." Marcus said, smirking and rolling his eyes.

Right at that moment, someone tapped on Marcus' shoulder. He turned. It was Captain Falcon, and he was smiling. He held out his hand.

"Good race."

Marcus grinned and shook his hand.

"Sorry about slowing you down back there." Marcus said.

Falcon grinned even more.

"Ah, don't worry about it. It's high time I got beaten at my own game. Besides, better a strapping young dog like you than Samurai Goroh, right?"

Here they both laughed. Suddenly, Marcus felt like he was being watched. He turned around. The woman he rescued from Goroh was coming toward him.

"Uhh…can I help you?" Marcus asked.

"So you're the big winner, I'm assuming." the woman asked.

"…yeah."

"I really appreciate what you did for me back there. I just came over to show my gratitude."

"Uhh…sure, no problem…who are you, anyway?"

The woman smiled.

"I thought you'd never ask."

She felt at the zipper of her black jumpsuit and unzipped it. Underneath, she wore another bodysuit, only this one was light-blue and had odd red markings on it. Then, the woman took off her helmet. She had deep blue eyes, and her long blonde hair was up in a ponytail.

Marcus couldn't believe who he was looking at. Everyone cheered.

"Samus Aran?" Marcus asked in a stupefied voice.

Samus grinned at him. She was about a head taller than him, and she looked incredibly radiant (and that was despite the fact that she was wearing a skintight jumpsuit!). Marcus felt extremely nervous that the most renowned bounty hunter in the universe was smiling warmly at him.

"Just so you know, it's not often that I get rescued. I guess there's only one way to thank you." Samus said.

She leaned over and gently kissed Marcus' nose. He flushed bright red. Chase, Anna, Katt and Falco had come down from the bleachers to congratulate Marcus, but as soon as they caught an eyeful of him, they burst out laughing.

"You're not shy, are you, Mark?" asked Chase.

Everyone except Marcus (who was still blushing) laughed.

"Uhh…I'm fine…just fine." he stammered.

"Will the winners of 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place please proceed to the podium?"

Falcon, Marcus and Samus stepped onto the gold-and-silver platform.

"In 3rd place, Samus Aran!"

Samus waved to the crowd. Out came cheering loud enough to shatter a window.

"In 2nd place, Captain Douglas Jay Falcon!"

Falcon saluted the crowd. Even more cheering.

"And in 1st place, the winner of the 100,000 cash prize and the Mach 4 speed converter, Marcus James McCloud!"

Marcus shot his arm up. Loudest cheer yet. The next thing Marcs knew he was holding a gigantic trophy with 100,000 dollars inside, and Chase was standing next to him ogling the Mach 4 converter in his hands.

Falcon touched his fingers to his helmet. A loud beep was heard, and large blue-and-yellow ship was flying over the stadium. The _Blue Falcon_ was lifted inside.

"You win this time, Marcus." he said. "But keep training. I'll be back next year."

Marcus grinned. "You can count on it."

A large beam came down from the Falcon Flyer, and Captain Falcon was warped inside. The ship jumped to light speed and disappeared. Samus touched a button on the armlet she wore. The _Zebes Dagger_ instantly became a gunship about the size of two Arwings put together.

"You're pretty cool in my book, Mark." Samus said to Marcus. "We've gotta do this again sometime."

She patted Marcus' head, then jumped on top of the ship. A hatch opened up underneath her and she sank inside, which then rose off the ground and shot to light speed. Marcus stood there, utterly speechless.

"Wow, just…wow." he thought

"Samus Aran and Captain Falcon, huh?" said Fox. "Well, I guess you better keep training for next year's race. They certainly won't hold back next time."

Marcus pulled himself together and smiled.

"They'll be back…and I'll be ready!"

_Yes, I just crossed Star Fox over with Metroid and F-Zero. Why?...BECAUSE I CAN! MUAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!_


	14. Into the Watery Abyss

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

**Into The Watery Abyss**

**December 1****st****, 2053**

**In Orbit, Planet Aquas**

"So this is where my parents came from." said Chase, looking down through the window at Aquas.

The entire planet of Aquas was almost completely covered in water. There were tiny spits of land here and there, but otherwise nothing but crystal-clear sea water. The team had been assigned to dive to the ocean floor and search for a Venomian bio-weapon that may have been being constructed down there. Only problem was that the _Blue Marine_ was still under maintenance, meaning they would have to scuba-dive to the spot.

The _Great Fox_ slowly lowered itself down into the atmosphere and hovered ten feet above the water. Falco, Anna and Katt flew out of the _Great Fox_ in their Arwings, while Marcus and Chase stood at the open hangar door, pulling on diving suits.

"How do you come up with these ideas anyhow?" Marcus asked, zipping up the suit.

"It doesn't matter how." Chase responded. "What matters is that I made them. Case closed."

"Be careful, boys." Anna said. 'There are some pretty deadly creatures down there that won't hesitate to tear your heads off."

"Calm down. We'll be fine." Marcus assured her.

Truth was he'd never been to Aquas before, so he had no idea what was waiting for them down there. And he was in no rush to find out.

"And hey, guys! I've got good news!" Chase said. "I finally got a hold of the moderator we needed. If we get that same data again, this time I'll be able to translate it."

"Good job, Chase." Marcus instructed. "Alright, on my mark, we dive."

The two boys fit their breathing masks over their faces. Marcus turned behind him and tightened the air tanks attached to his back. Then he tuned to Chase and gave him a thumbs-down. ("Dive, dive, dive." in sign language)

Chase nodded and they both dove head-first into the cool, blue water.

**Beneath the surface...**

Marcus opened his eyes a few moments after he hit the water. He was floating five feet under the surface. He took in a deep breath. The air tanks worked perfectly. He looked over and saw Chase. He touched his fingers to his ear.

"Comm systems check." he said. "Can you hear me, Chase?"

Chase looked over and gave him two thumbs-up.

"Yeah." he replied.

"OK. Let's head deeper."

The two boys kicked their feet and slowly went deeper into the dark water.

"How's everything going up there?" Marcus asked.

"We're doin' fine." Falco replied "No problems."

"We should probably steer clear of the surface." Anna said. "This planet frequently has undersea earthquakes that cause powerful tsunamis."

"Mark, let's try that trench over there." Chase said, pointing down at the ocean floor.

Marcus pulled out his blaster. (Since they were going to be heading several miles underwater, the staff's Fire Blaster would be completely useless). The two swam deeper toward the fissure.

Marcus looked at the radar attached to his arm. Anna's coordinates were definitely pointing down inside the trench.

"Oh yeah. There's somethin' down there, all right." he said. "Let's turn on our propellers."

The propellers attached to their feet turned on and the two boys began moving quickly toward the trench. As they neared the ocean floor, they could see a massive coral reef full of brightly-colored fish.

"Wow! Look at that!" Chase said, pointing down at the reef.

"I gotta admit; that IS pretty cool." Marcus said.

Suddenly, strange starfish-like creatures flew up from the reef and began drifting right at them.

"'The hell are these things supposed to be?" Marcus asked.

"Starikazes!" Chase shouted.

Chase grabbed Marcus' hand and pulled him away from the "Starikazes."

"What? What's wrong?"

"Watch."

The Starikazes floated for a few seconds, then suddenly flailed around like mad and exploded!

"What the…Are these things bio-engineered, too?" Marcus asked.

"Nah, they're genetically designed to do that whenever an intruder enters their territory. But I gotta say that's the worst survival skill anyone could ever come up with. They're gonna smack themselves to extinction one of these days."

"We're here to destroy the bio-weapon, not hear a lecture on kamikaze starfish!" Katt said impatiently. "Get on a move on, you two!"

"Alright, alright! What's the rush?" Marcus replied.

The two boys began swimming toward the trench again, staying as far away from the coral reef as they could to avoid stirring up more of the volatile fish. Up above the surface, the other three team members lazily cruised along the open sky, without any problem to disturb them.

At least, they were until a laser flew out of nowhere.

"Watch out!" Falco screamed.

Everyone swerved away from the projectile. A fleet of Venomian ships were flying toward them at full speed.

"Falco here! Enemies within range! We're returning their fire!" Falco said into the comm.

Back down underwater, Chase and Marcus were floating just over the trench. They both turned on their headlights and propelled themselves down. The trench walls were lined with sharp and pointy rocks, like jagged teeth of some unseen monster that could have been lurking anywhere, as long as it was out of the boys' line of sight. All kinds of small plants and animals were dotting the rocks.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Marcus muttered.

"Look who's talkin'!" Anna responded through the comm as she dodged another projectile.

Chase continued deeper into the trench, but Marcus stopped when a gleaming object caught his eye. He saw a small silver stone stuck in the wall. He carefully swam over to it and brushed the seaweed away from it. It was an oddly-shaped stone, like a bust but much smaller, small enough to fit in his hand.

He carefully plucked it out and looked at it. It seemed to resemble the face of some kind of deity. Strange symbols were etched into the back of it. Whatever it was, it looked important.

Marcus slipped the stone into his pocket and swam after Chase.

"How deep does this trench go, anyhow?" Marcus asked.

"About three miles." Anna answered. "It's the deepest trench along the northern hemisphere."

"You sound calm…did you guys take care of those bogies already?" Chase asked.

"Pff! You kiddin'? They were cake!" Falco mocked.

"Uhh…would you mind telling me what THAT thing is?" Marcus asked, pointing at down.

A very large fish with a long antenna attached to its head was swimming around about fifty feet below them.

"It's dangerous is what it is! Shoot it!" Chase shouted.

Both boys pulled out their blasters and shot the fish several times. It groaned, turned over and floated up to the surface.

"Your parents were born HERE?" Marcus exclaimed.

"That was BEFORE these freaks of nature showed up!" Chase responded angrily.

Suddenly, an earthquake ran through the walls, sending several boulders falling toward the boys. They flipped over and shot all the boulders into bite-sized pieces.

"Anne, one of those earthquakes just went off down here!" Marcus said into the comm. "Get higher up!"

"We copy THAT!" Anna responded.

Katt, Anna, Falco and the _Great Fox_ rose up even higher above the surface just as a massive wave, about 100 feet in height, came flying past them. Marcus and Chase, meanwhile, had reached the bottom of the trench.

"The water's warmer down here." Marcus said in a slightly confused tone.

"It's from the undersea volcanoes down there." Anna said. "They haven't gone off in 200 years, but they still warm up the water a whole lot."

"Hey!" Chase exclaimed. "Look over there!"

A large cavern was carved into the wall of the trench.

"Maybe the bio-weapon's in there." Chase said.

"Maybe. C'mon, let's check it out." Marcus replied.

The two swam toward the cavern, their blasters at the ready. More boulders fell down and dangerously close to them.

"This is getting more dangerous by the second." Marcus grumbled.

As the two entered the cavern, Marcus flipped his headlight on High. The beam grew brighter. When the boys saw what was inside the cavern, their mouths dropped open and their eyes bugged out. The walls, floor and ceiling of the cavern were lined with huge gemstones!

"Holy schnikes!" Marcus exclaimed.

As far as the eye could see, there were diamonds, pearls, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, aquamarines, you name it!

"You guys need to see this in your lifetime. It's freakin' UNBELIVABLE!" Chase said into the comm.

"I'm getting it on the radar and I don't believe it!" Anna said.

"Jeez, there's probably about three million worth of cash down there!" Falco said. "Look at the size of those things!"

"Uh, hellOOOO!" Katt shouted. "Focus on the mission, will ya? We're not getting paid to stare at rocks!"

"Weird you'd worry about getting something finished." Falco said, smirking.

"Weird you'd say that." Katt replied, rolling her eyes.

The boys kicked their feet and continued through the gold mine of a cavern. A little ways in, an odd-looking, vine-like object blocked their path.

"What the heck is this supposed to be?" Marcus asked.

"Some kinda…tentacle?" Chase said.

Marcus shot it. Something very distant from them let out a pained roar. The cavern walls shook. The tentacle flailed around, then slithered away back through the hole in the wall.

"There's something wrong here. I just can't put my finger on it." Marcus said.

"Just a guess, mind you, but that was probably the bio-weapon." Chase said.

"Only one way to find out. Let's keep going."

The continued, but found another tentacle. Another shot, another shriek, another tentacle gone down the hole. This happened about six more times before the tunnel widened out into a massive chamber. Stalactites and stalagmites extended from the floor and roof. A massive, craggy hole lay in the center.

Marcus checked his radar.

"This is where the bio-weapon should be." he said, tapping the screen with his finger. "But I don't see diddly-squat.

"Maybe's it's in the hole over there." Chase said.

Marcus looked down. The hole was as dark as dark could be. He pulled out his flare gun and shot a water-proof flare down into the depths of the abyss.

At first, nothing happened. Then suddenly the entire cavern began rumbling. Finally, something reared its ugly head out of the hole.

"O…o…OCTOPUS!" Chase screamed.

"THIS is the enemy bio-weapon?" Marcus shouted in disbelief.

Indeed, the bio-weapon was a colossal octopus. Its eight tentacles were as thick as a tree trunk and as long as the _Great Fox_, and its eyes were as big as two Arwings.

The enormous cephalopod let out a loud shriek and raised one of its tentacles before swinging it at the boys.

"Incoming!" Marcus screamed, grabbing Chase and propelling them away.

"Anna, hurry up! Find that thing's weak point!" Falco shouted.

"Calm down, for God's sake! I can't think when you're yelling at me!" Anna retorted. "...maybe it's the eyes! Aim for the eyes!"

Marcus and Chase flipped around and shot toward the massive beast, which chose that moment to shriek again. The boys split off in opposite directions, each heading for the eye on either side. Marcus barrel-rolled out of the way of one of the tentacles. He aimed his blaster at the eye, but suddenly another tentacle came up behind him and snatched his staff off his back.

"Hey! Come back here with that!"

Marcus boosted after the tentacle holding his staff, when another tentacle swatted him away. As he recovered from the initial shock, the eye shot a laser at him. He dove down and the laser slammed into the wall, sending down several large rocks that nearly crushed him.

Marcus pulled out his blaster again, charged up a shot, boosted toward the tentacle that held his staff and shot. The charged shot collided with the tentacle and the staff went flying into Marcus' hand. He bolted toward the eye again. He focused this time and barrel-rolled away from all the tentacles.

He held his staff at the ready, and landed just below the eye.

"Now you see me…"

He impaled the eye.

"NOW YOU DON'T!"

The ock shrieked in pain as Marcus pulled the staff out and boosted away from it.

Chase ducked under one of the tentacles that went swinging at him, barrel-rolled away from an eyebeam and swerved off to the left.

"Eenie, meanie, minie, mo. Catch a frog?"

Chase swam right in front of the eye and charged up his blaster.

"YOU'RE TOO SLOW!"

He released the blast. The ock let out another shriek of pain. The two boys swerved back toward each other. The octopus was even more pissed off than before! It started trashing around like crazy and slamming the walls with its eight, gigantic arms.

"Looks like SOMEBODY has temper issues." Chase chuckled.

A stalactite came loose and slammed into the ock's head. Some of the skin on its head peeled off, revealing what looked an awful lot like a brain.

"Oh, gross!" Katt exclaimed.

"Now! Hit the brain!" Anna shouted.

The boys rocketed at the beast again. Somehow, even though it could no longer see them, it still knew where they were, as it kept swinging its tentacles dangerously close to them.

The tentacles flew at them again. This time, one of them wrapped around Chase and dragged him away.

"Hey! Hands off my pal!" Marcus shouted.

Marcus swam like a bolt at the tentacle, pulled out his staff and impaled the tendril. It loosened. Marcus grabbed Chase's wrists and yanked him free.

"Phew. Thanks, man." Chase said, handing Marcus the staff.

"I guess it just goes to show you; some animals just can't keep their hands to themselves."

"Right! Let's turn this guy into caviar!"

The boys rocketed back at the head. They pulled out their blasters, dodged the tentacles and shot the head. The octopus was temporarily stunned. The boys pulled out their flare guns and shot the small fireworks at the ock's cranium. They exploded and the cephalopod gave out a shriek even louder before, then slowly went limp and sank down back into the abyss.

It was just out a sight when…

BOOOOOMM!

The sweet sound of success. The boys smiled and gave each other a high-five.

"The Dynamic Duo does it again!" Marcus said.

"Alright! Great job, boys!" Falco cheered.

Chase checked his scanner attached to his wrist.

"I got the data. Let's head back."

**Back on familiar territory...**

"This ain't too surprising." Falco muttered.

They had analyzed the data from the "Kraken" ("Got that name from an old Earth legend." Chase had told them), and it was just as they thought.

"Who on Sauria would make something like that?" Anna asked.

"Someone smart enough to use a machine." Chase said.

"That's out of the question." Marcus said. "The Sharpclaw are the only ones who have ever even SEEN machines before, and they're at peace with everyone."

"What about…" Katt started.

"General Scales? He's dead."

"Are you sure?"

"That's what Dad said."

Chase pressed a few buttons on his computer.

"Activating the translator mod…now." he said.

The computer suddenly gave off several loud beeps.

"What the…" Chase sputtered.

"What's wrong?" asked Falco.

"Son of a bitch!" Chase cursed. "They put some kinda firewall in the data! Even worse, I can't try to hack past it or it'll trace back the data and crash the computer!"

"Dammit." Marcus said, face-palming himself. "These Venomians are smarter than they look."

"Hey, Mark." Anna spoke up. "What's that?"

She pointed at the lump in his pocket. Marcus reached in and pulled out the stone he'd found earlier.

"It's got Saurian symbols, too." he said.

"Hey, lemme see that." Chase said.

Marcus handed Chase the stone. Chase himself looked it over for a few moments, then placed it on a scanner next to his computer.

"Uhh…what are you doing?" Marcus asked.

"I'm gonna see what this thing is." Chase replied.

An image of the stone appeared onscreen. The symbols on the back appeared next to it.

"Where'd you find this, anyway?" Chase asked.

"I found it wedged in a wall down there." Marcus replied. "Why? What is it?"

"It's a Krazoa Key!"

"A what?"

Chase turned around in his chair and handed the stone back to Marcus.

"A Krazoa Key unlocks one of the Krazoa Shrines on Sauria. The Krazoa Spirits are said to live in the shrines. There are two other stones like this, and they all say the same thing."

"What do they say?" Anna asked.

"'Our Master dwells in the cavern deep. Ones with us, their wishes we keep.'"

"Okay, weird-ass poem. Translation?"

"It basically means that all three of these stones unlock the cavern where the most powerful of the Krazoa Spirits, called the Krazoa Master, lives. Apparently, those who reach him will be granted any wish they want."

"…so where are the others?" asked Katt.

"Where else? Sauria." Chase replied.

"Alright, that settles it." Marcus said. "We have to go to Sauria and see what going on down there. How far is it from Corneria?"

"A lot further than Venom, I'll give you that." Anna said.

"Won't be a problem with light-speed." Katt said.

"OK." Marcus said. "Tomorrow, we're heading to Sauria. We'll head home for now and make sure we get everything we need."

He looked around.

"Get to sleep early tonight, guys. We're leaving first thing in the morning!"


	15. A Wrong Turn

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

**A Wrong Turn**

**December 2****nd****, 2053**

**Hyperspace, En Route to Sauria**

And so it happened, just as Marcus ordered it to.

The team had left Corneria at about six in the morning with everything they would need for their expedition on Sauria. It was also just as Anna had said: Sauria was much further away from Corneria than Venom. From her calculations, even at light speed, it would take approximately a half hour to reach Sauria.

The team hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, so they took the time to rest up before they reached the planet. Marcus, meanwhile, sat half-asleep in the captain's chair, thinking about the conversation he had with his parents before he left.

**1 hour earlier**

"Are you sure you've got everything you need?" Krystal asked.

"Mom, really, I'm gonna be fine." Marcus said

"Whatever you do, make sure that staff of yours is always at your disposal." Fox warned. "Believe me when I say that Sauria isn't even close to being as forgiving as Corneria."

"Dad, please don't start."

"Sorry." Krystal said. "It's just…Sauria is a long ways away from here, and we're just going to be so worried about you."

"Hey, I'm only gonna be gone for a couple days tops." Marcus said. "You guys are acting like I'm going to my deathbed."

Krystal flinched at that last word. She hated the mere thought of Fox or Marcus dying. In fact, she hated the words "death", "die", "dead", and even the phrase "pushing up daisies", simply because she knew perfectly well that they all meant something no one liked to think about.

"Sorry." Marcus said, scratching the back of his head. "But you don't need to worry about me! I've got the team to back me up, remember?"

"Just…be careful, OK?" Krystal said.

Marcus smiled.

"Come on. Group hug."

His parents smiled. The three McClouds all held one another in a family embrace. It was just as Falco had said: Marcus could figure out how to cheer literally ANYONE up in the blink of an eye.

And if there was one thing Marcus knew, it was that hugs always made Krystal feel better.

"You remember what to do if Kursed attacks your mind again, right?" Krystal asked sternly as they released each other.

Marcus rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Keep my mind clear and focus on something that DOESN'T involve being killed. No need to tell me twice."

"Be sure to come back safe, buddy." Fox said.

"I will, Dad."

**Presently...**

Marcus had made a promise. He was going to come back alive. No matter what, he wasn't going to die.

Suddenly, his thoughts returned to reality when the _Great Fox_ began to slow down. The other team members were jolted awake.

"Why are we stopping?" Katt asked in a confused voice. "We can't be there yet."

"ROB, did you change our coordinates?" Chase asked.

"Negative." ROB responded. "Light-speed malfunction. Exiting hyperspace."

"Something's not right…" Marcus thought.

The _Great Fox_ shifted into neutral position. The multi-colored hue of hyperspace faded away. Everyone looked out the window.

No constructions seemed to exist, as there were pieces of stone and rusted metal floating all over the place. The team could see an enormous Z-shaped nebula about a few hundred kilometers away, but shining brightly enough that they could see it from where they were

They were in the Sector Z Combat Zone.

"Sector Z?" Falco exclaimed. "What the hell are we doing here?"

"I don't know about you, but I've got a bad feeling about this." said Anna.

Chase jumped over his chair and checked the ship's status monitor. The wormhole indicating light-speed was flashing red.

"The light-speed's been disabled!" he called.

"Oh, perfect! Now we've gotta cruise the rest of the way!" Katt growled.

"I'm not worried about that." Marcus said. "What I'm worried about is why we stopped."

He thought the situation over for a moment. Then, just like that, the pieces fit together.

Marcus clenched his fist.

"Everyone, man your battle positions!" he barked as he proceeded toward the hangar bay.

"What is it, Mark?" asked Chase.

Marcus stopped at the door and looked back with a stern look one his face.

"The Venomians! We're being ambushed!"

**Within minutes...**

The five Arwings flew out of the hangar bay and switched to all-range mode.

"All ships, scour the area!" Marcus instructed. "Search for any Venomian units, and don't leave the _Great Fox_ unguarded."

"Why would those black-hearted apes attack us all the way out here in the middle of nowhere?" Katt asked.

"Why wouldn't they?" Anna said. "We're not that far from Venom, so we ARE making pretty worthy targets by going through here."

Suddenly, an alarm went off. Dozens of Venomian ships swooped out from behind the debris and began barreling toward the team at full speed.

"Nice welcome!" Falco shouted sarcastically.

The five ships split off in different directions, all the while making sure they didn't fly too far away from the _Great Fox_.

"Now didn't THEY pick a pretty damn good time to get us." Anna grumbled.

Marcus charged head-on at one group of the enemy units with his Arwing's laser blaring.

"Come on! Show me what you got!" he shouted.

"Hey, Mark, don't get cocky." Anna nagged.

Marcus blew a puff of air from the corner of his mouth. Did she know how hard it was NOT to be cocky when a bunch of people everyone hated picked a random, yet well-selected time to attack them?

Harder than she knew, he was sure.

Marcus hit the brakes and U-turned just as the bogies past him. Laying his thumb on the fire button, he sent the enemy units careening into the broken metal beams.

A couple more bogies grew hot on Falco's tail. He floored the boost pedal and swerved between several crisscrossing beams. When the bogies attempted to follow him, they crashed into each other and exploded.

"Don't mess with me, punks!" Falco mocked.

Katt swerved out of the way of a couple more lasers and his between a few gigantic slabs of floating concrete. Just as she hoped, the Venomians passed right by her and didn't see her. As soon as they passed her, she rocketed after them, fired a smart bomb and took all of them out.

Chase took a loop around the _Great Fox_ and shot down one bogey, then swerved off to the left and hit another. Finally, he U-turned and hit the one behind him with a charged shot.

"Pretty smooth flyin', Chase." Falco remarked.

"You think that's smooth?" Chase said. "Check THIS out!"

He shot between two beams, U-turned, and blasted another bogey, then somersaulted, swerved off to the right and hurtled a smart bomb at a large group enemy units.

"Heh heh. How's THAT for expert piloting?" Chase said triumphantly.

Katt smirked and crossed her arms.

"Don't look now 'expert pilot', but you've got one on your tail."

Sure enough, Chase was suddenly hit from behind by an enemy laser. He looked back and saw a group of Venomians firing at him.

"Well, that's just great…." Chase muttered as he floored the boost pedal and shot away.

Chase literally tried every trick in the book, but no matter how hard he tried, the Venomians stayed hot on his tail.

"Grrr….can't…get away from…..okay, can someone help me out here? I mean, seriously. Hello?"

Anna shot toward the enemies and blasted them all down with barely any effort.

"I guess I was just showing off back there…thanks, Anne."

Anna smirked.

"Gimme a kiss and we'll call it even." she said mischievously

"You say WHAT now?" Chase sputtered.

Marcus, Katt, Anna and Falco all started howling with laughter. Chase, on the other hand, started fuming.

"Ah, shaddup, you schmucks!" he retorted.

Suddenly, an alarm coming from the _Great Fox_ went off.

"Red alert!" ROB's voice blared on their comms. "Six missiles coming from the south!"

Sure enough, when Marcus looked to the south, he could see a ten-foot long, copperhead missile rocketing right at the _Great Fox_. And it was coming fast!

"Oh, perfect!" Marcus shouted angrily.

"Missile one is headed for _Great Fox_! Distance: 50!" ROB blared. "Collision with _Great Fox_ will cause severe exterior damage!"

"Here it comes!" Marcus shouted. "Take this thing down hard and fast!"

Chase, Marcus and Falco U-turned toward the missile.

Another group of bogies was guiding the missile. As soon as the boys were within firing range, the bogies flew toward them at full speed.

"Eat this, you losers!" Chase hollered, laying his thumb on the fire button.

Lasers went flying through the cold, oxygen-less air of space. Marcus and Falco swerved away from the pack of Venomians and locked onto the missile.

"Fire in the hole!" Marcus shouted.

The two Arwings fired smart bombs at the missile.

When the blast radii had cleared, they saw that the missile was heavily dented, but was not otherwise damaged. Marcus swerved back toward the missile and laid his thumb down on the fire button. The flying lasers pierced the missile's armor and detonated it.

"Now THAT'S what I call a short round." Marcus chuckled.

"Alert!" ROB blared. "Venomian crawlers attacking _Great Fox_! Assistance required!"

"Don't worry, boys." Katt called. "We've got 'em. You take care of those missiles."

Katt and Anna jetted toward the _Great Fox_. Odd mechanical spider-like things were crawling all over the ship, tearing at the hull.

"Chew on your ass, not one of us!" Anna hollered.

The girls split up and took either side of the _Great Fox_. They sent their lasers blaring and knocked all of the crawlers into oblivion.

"Why do they even bother?" Katt said, smirking.

"Missiles Two and Three approaching!"

Two more missiles were rocketing toward them.

"I'm heading for the missile now!" Chase called, laying his foot down on the boost pedal.

"Chase, get back here!" Marcus shouted.

More bogies appeared out of seemingly nowhere and started zooming right at Chase.

"Too late." Falco groaned.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap!" Chase screamed as he U-turned away.

Falco groaned again. "I got 'em. Mark, you get rid of those missiles."

Falco U-turned back toward Chase. Marcus shot toward Missiles Two and Three. They were approaching the _Great Fox_ even faster than the first one.

"Missile approaching! Distance: 20!" ROB blared.

Marcus tried boosting ahead, but the missiles were too fast even for that. Then, he got an idea.

"If one is to catch a speeding bolt, one must BE a speeding bolt!" he said in an oddball sort of way.

With that, he turned on the Mach 4 converter that he had won from the F-Zero GP.

The _Arwing III_ suddenly rocketed forward at four times the speed of sound. Marcus quickly swerved off to the left and smashed right through both missiles. He turned the converter off.

"Wow! Not a scratch!" he said enthusiastically after looking over his ship's hull. "This thing works great!"

"Y'know what else would work great? If these jackasses would drop dead!" Falco said.

Marcus shot toward the helpless Falco, targeted the bogies with his Multi-Lock and shot them down.

"Sorry, Mark. I'm not too proud of what you just witnessed." Falco said apologetically.

"Hey, don't get discouraged, Falco." said Marcus "Besides, it could be a lot worse."

Anna chuckled.

"Yeah…you could be Oikonny!"

Katt swerved down below a pile of debris, when suddenly a bogey smashed into her.

"You tryin' to damage my pretty face?" she asked in an insulted tone. "What a savage jerk!"

She swerved around behind the bogey and shot it down with a charged shot.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" she mocked.

"Missiles four, five and six approaching at high speed!" ROB blared.

"All ships go for the missiles!" Marcus ordered. "Don't let even one of them get through, or ROB is toast!"

"Thank you…now I feel MUCH better."

The entire team shot for the missiles. These ones seemed to be the fastest of them all.

Chase, Katt and Anna grouped around Missile Four and detonated it with several charged shots, but….

"Missile distance: 20!"

"Oh, crap! Everybody hurry!" Falco shouted.

They all grouped around Missile Five, locked onto it and hurtled more charged shots at it. This one detonated, as well, but…

"Missile distance: 10! Unable to evade!"

Katt rocketed directly above the missile.

"Make way for Katt!"

She hit the ejector seat button and dove down with her fist thrust out.

Believe it or not, when Katt's fist connected with the outer structure of the missile, she burrowed right through and out the other side!

The missile detonated as Katt landed safely back inside her Arwing.

She shut the cockpit door, then smirked and blew on her fist.

"That strength-enhancing stuff works like a charm. Chase ain't such a screw-up after all."

"Oh, sure, pick on the little guy. How original!" Chase retorted.

Everyone swerved back toward the _Great Fox_.

"ROB, is everything OK?" Marcus asked.

"_Great Fox_ is OK." ROB said.

"Phew! All aircraft report."

"I've taken a few hits, but everything's right as rain." Chase said.

"Everything's A-OK." Anna called.

"I got a little cooked back there, but I'm good." Katt breathed.

"You worry about your own hide!" Falco replied.

"Alright. Good to see no one got hurt too badly." Marcus said. "ROB, did you have any luck at fixing that light-speed?"

"Negative." ROB replied. "Light-speed booster requires maintenance. May take up to three days."

"Dammit!" Katt cursed. "We're gonna have to change our route to Sauria."

"And it looks like the only other way…" Anna said, pointing forward. "is through THERE!"

Chase's mouth dropped open.

"Oh, no! No way am I goin' in there!"

_Anyone who got the real ending of Star Fox 64 should know what he's talking about, but I digress. Here we are, with half of the story uploaded, halfway to the ending, halfway to the...well, you get it. Nothing much to say other than see you next update!_


	16. Through the Middle

_About that little quiz from the last chapter. If you guessed Area 6...well, duh!_

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

**Through the Middle**

**Venom Air Defense Zone, Area 6**

"I can't believe I actually let you talk me into this!" Chase whined. "This is complete and utter suicide! We're gonna get killed for sure!"

"Come on! Will you just live a little for once? If we wanna figure out what's causing all these attacks, we need to do this." Falco retorted.

"It's not like you to whine, Chase." Anna said.

Area 6 was the air space surrounding Venom. This particular section of the Lylat System was under complete control of the Venomians. About every hour of every day, the Venomians patrolled this zone, searching for any Cornerian fleets attempting to breach their defenses and counterattack Venom. Unfortunately, save for the previous Star Fox team, no Cornerian who went in ever came out alive.

"Besides, if our parents could make it through here in one piece, so can we!" Marcus assured, trying to sound much braver than he really was.

"Get ready, guys!" Katt called. "Those jackasses are coming right for us!"

Just like Katt had said, a large fleet of Venomian units had already spotted them. Marcus could hear their captain talking.

"Caiman here! Enemy fighters have been spotted! It appears to be the Star Fox team!"

Another voice, this one more deep and imposing, replied.

"All units head for the southwestern region! Don't let any of 'em through!"

"Err…you have the right to remain silent…bitch!" Chase tried.

The enemy units barreled toward the team at full speed.

"Good job. Now you've pissed 'em off!" Katt said angrily.

"Sheesh! Can't blame a guy for tryin'!" Chase replied.

"Everyone take evasive action!" Marcus ordered. "No matter what, we're gonna break through this fleet and get to the other side!"

The five Arwings blasted into the war-zone and avoided the enemy's projectiles. Marcus locked onto one in the center and fired a smart bomb. When the blast radius cleared, Marcus and Anna delved into the remaining pack of bogies and shot down a few more.

"Green Unit, fall back and regroup!" Caiman shouted.

With that, the three ships in the pack that Marcus had assaulted U-turned and flew away as fast as they could.

"Aww, c'mon!" Anna mocked. "We were just getting started!"

"I think they're angry enough without you asking for more, Anne!" Falco said, rolling his eyes.

"We'll buy your enthusiasm, though." Katt chuckled.

The five Arwings split up and shot down a few more ships. Chase quickly took notice of an odd-circular object that was quickly rotating.

"What in the…" he started.

Suddenly, the odd satellite turned its faceplate to face the team. A strange energy reaction appeared in the center.

"Watch out! That thing's gonna blow!" Chase hollered.

The team swerved away just as the satellite fired a powerful laser beam at them. When the beam faded, the five Arwings regrouped.

"What is that thing?" Anna asked.

"I dunno, but they're all over the place!" Chase shouted back.

"Target as many of those things as you can!" Marcus ordered. "Attack whenever you have the chance!"

Marcus barrel-rolled to the left and targeted one of the satellites. Just as he came within firing range, a few bogies appeared from behind it and jetted toward him.

"We're being attacked by a buncha kids?" one of the pilots shouted in disbelief.

"Hey, either 'teenager', 'young adult' or 'youth', not 'kid'!" Marcus retorted.

Marcus ducked underneath the bogies, then sped toward the satellite. He looked back and saw that they were hot on his tail.

"I guess it's time to...I can't believe I'm saying this…" he started. "TAKE A BRAKE! HA! I SAID IT!"

After momentarily laughing at his own ridiculous pun, Marcus slammed on his brakes. The enemy ships shot right past him and collided with the satellite, destroying it and themselves in a fiery explosion. Several more satellites started firing lasers at the team. Anna swerved to the right and brought one down with several charged shots, while Chase and Katt went off to the left and hit another with a few smart bombs.

Marcus and Falco lured a group of bogies to a satellite in the middle. The bogies fired small bombs. Marcus and Falco swerved out of the way, and the small explosives destroyed the satellite.

"Yeesh! You can't go two minutes in this hellhole without something blowin' up around ya!" Falco said in an aggravated tone.

"By the way you're wording it, you make it sound like you hate that." Anna said.

"I like to MAKE things blow up, not GET blown up!"

Falco himself used his Mach 4 converter (Chase had successfully managed to clone it and attach it to his _Slip Strap_, Falco's _Sky Claw_, Katt's _Cat's Paw 3_, and Anna's _Punk Rock-It_) to smash through the ring of another satellite, then blast a few more bogies out of the sky. A few very large ships with skulls painted on their hulls began flying towards the team with their multiple turrets blaring.

"Yeow! Those things are huge!" Katt shouted in a panicked tone.

"Everybody keep moving! Don't sit still even for a second!" Marcus shouted.

The team moved back and forth, and left and right, dodging the bullets as best as they could. The huge ships kept coming closer.

"ROB, can you give us a hand down here?" Falco called into his comm.

"_Great Fox_ will cover you." ROB replied.

The _Great Fox_, which was trailing just a little ways behind the Arwings, began firing its powerful cannons at the incoming ships. Just as the Venomian ships came within firing range, they launched several small mines at the Arwings just before the _Great Fox_'s lasers destroyed them.

"Space mines ahead!" Chase shouted. "Shoot 'em down before they get too close!"

The team blasted down the mines and fired at the remaining enemy ships. Just as they downed the last one, Chase's radar blipped. He looked up. What he saw made him begin to panic.

"Incoming enemy missile!"

Five huge missiles were hurtling for them at high speed.

"Shoot 'em down!" Anna screamed. "We're being marked!"

Everyone hit the brakes and started blaring their lasers as fast as they could. Just as they missiles were five feet away from colliding with the team, they fell apart.

"Phew!" Falco breathed. "I thought they had us for a second."

"Fire the second round!" Caiman shouted.

Five more missiles appeared out of nowhere and started jetting toward the team even faster than the others.

"Oh, COME ON!" Marcus shouted.

The team began firing their lasers again. They managed to down all of them…except the one targeting Marcus!

"CRAP, CRAP, CRAP, CRA…"

Before he could finish that last "CRAP", a charged Plasma Shot rained down from nowhere, collided with the missile and detonated it.

"Err…I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that wasn't any of you guys." Marcus said.

Suddenly, a streamlined ship swooped down next to Marcus. A Wolfen. More specifically, the _Iron Maiden_.

"Are you guys gonna hog ALL the fun?" Coyote asked with a big smirk on her face.

"Whew. I guess we're even now, huh?" Marcus asked.

"O'Donnell!" Chase shouted. "Get out of here right now! The last thing we need is to fight you in this God forsaken warzone!"

"I'm not here to fight, dumbass!" Coyote retorted. "I wanna help!"

"We don't need help from a criminal!" Anna hollered.

"Trust me; if we had the time right now, we'd arrest you on the spot!" Falco growled.

"Uhh….who are you?" Katt asked in a confused voice.

"Everyone shut your trap for a second!" Marcus shouted.

"But, Mark, she's…" Falco started.

"I know who she is, Falco. The point is that I trust her...for the most part anyway, and so should you. We need all the help we can get to make it out alive. Besides, you don't think she'd come out here on her own to fight us, do ya?"

"That's right!" Coyote put in. "You've got a cute leader! Why don't you try to actually listen to him?"

"Uhh…what?" Marcus asked.

Coyote suddenly blushed when she realized she had called Marcus cute.

"Um…nothing…oh, damn."

Chase groaned in disgust, but he realized that Marcus was right.

"Alright, alright! But I've got my eye on you, missy!"

"Ooo, yeah! You're real scary!" Coyote said sarcastically.

Anna suddenly snapped to attention when she heard Coyote say that. Maybe she was just suffering from déjà vu, but she sounded a whole lot like Bill whenever he got cocky.

"Nah, she couldn't be…could she?"

The commander's deep voice crackled on the comm line.

"Did we get 'em?" he asked.

"Not yet, sir!" Caiman replied. "It seems that a member of Star Wolf has joined them!"

"Great. One more little kid I've gotta send home crying…"

"Hey! Who are you callin' 'little', you jackass?" Coyote yelled.

"Oh, it is ON!" Falco growled.

The six ships boosted into a space mine field.

"Watch out for those mines!" Chase hollered.

Coyote and Marcus swerved off to the left and took out a small group of the explosives, then split off in different directions and took out another one of the satellites they had seen earlier.

"Nice work, Mark." Coyote said coyly. "You and I should work together more often."

"Well, maybe we could if you didn't suddenly disappear every time I try to talk to ya." Marcus replied.

"Hehehe. Alright, I promise to give you a little heads-up when I gotta jet."

"What is this, a chat room or something?" Chase said. "Come on, Mark! Focus on what you're doing."

"Hey, back off, Toad!" Coyote shot back. "He can talk to me all he wants, right, Mark?"

"Yeah. I can talk to her all I want." Marcus replied meekly

Chase's face fell.

"She's stealing my friend, for God's sake!" he thought sadly.

Marcus had actually defended Coyote when Chase and the rest of the team had told her to get lost, and now he was completely ignoring him when Coyote had deliberately insulted him. Now the pieces were starting to fit together! Marcus had completely forgotten about their friendship just so he could make a good impression on some girl that was being a complete jerk to his best friend!

Chase still managed to focus on the task at hand, but at the same time he kept angrily picturing a brutal scene in his head.

"Marcus doesn't need you anymore." Coyote would say. "He's got me now. You were never there for him when he needed you. Some friend."

Chase would grab Coyote's collar bone.

"You call THIS not being there for him, you bitch?" he would angrily scream as he pummeled her in the face.

Chase kept playing that scene over and over in his head. He wished he could do it right there, right now with Marcus watching. But if he did that, not only would Marcus kick him off the team, but he would renounce their friendship as well. The more Chase realized that, the angrier he got.

"Chase, watch out!" Anna screamed.

A group of bogies were firing at Chase from behind, but he was moping too much to really care. Then suddenly, Coyote swerved around behind Chase and shot down his pursuers.

"What's the matter with you?" she asked. "You deaf or somethin'?"

"SHUT UP!" Chase screamed.

Marcus winced at Chase's sudden outburst, as did everyone else.

"What was that all about?" he wondered.

Even if Coyote had rescued him, Chase wasn't going to start liking her just because of it.

"Frankly, Scarlette, I don't give a damn!" he angrily thought.

"They've broken through the first line!" Caiman shouted in a slightly worried tone.

"And next we're breakin' you!" Anna roared.

"OK, THAT is just scary!" Katt remarked.

The six ships blasted their way through another minefield and downed a few more of the satellites. Suddenly, a large, butterfly-like creature swooped down and began hovering in front of Marcus.

"What in the…" Marcus started.

The creature flapped its wings and sent large plasma-composed rings hurtling right at Marcus.

"Oh, so NOW it makes sense!"

Marcus swerved around the rings and locked onto the odd creature, when suddenly another one swooped down and threw out more rings. Marcus dodged these, too. The first one attacked again.

"OK, that's enough!" Marcus grumbled as he slammed the bomb button.

The smart bomb flew right in between the creatures and exploded, taking them with it.

"Enemy group behind us!" Falco shouted. "Man, they're fast!"

Sure enough, about three dozen enemy units swerved in front of them, U-turned, and began firing at them from all angles. Coyote barrel-rolled to the right, locked onto the units and launched a missile into them.

"Amateurs!" she smirked.

A gigantic warship began moving toward them.

"Whoa! What in the world?" Falco said in disbelief.

"That ship's only weak point is on the main bridge!" Anna warned.

The main bridge was at the back of the ship, poking out between two small wings. The turrets attached to the ship began firing at the team. Chase and Anna swerved down and blasted the turrets off of it. Katt and Falco swooped down and hit the main bridge. The ship exploded from the inside and began to dip down.

Coyote and Marcus both shot off to the left and took down a few more bogies.

"Is that all you've got?" Marcus yelled.

"C'mon! This is starting to get fun!" Coyote mocked.

"They're through the second line!" Caiman shouted.

"FIRE! FIRE!" the commander shouted. "Don't let 'em through!"

"Unbelievable! They actually think were trying to attack Venom!" Katt said.

"I wouldn't go down there if you paid me!" Anna replied.

More warships approached them. Using the same assault as before, they took down another one, but not before another swarm of bogies flew out and targeted Coyote.

"Back off, you freaks!" Coyote yelled as she tried to shake them off her tail.

"She ain't worth it…but OK." Chase thought.

He swerved over and shot down the enemies, making sure he skinned Coyote's ship as he boosted ahead.

"Hey!" Coyote hollered when Chase hit her. "I'm helping you and THAT'S how you thank me?"

"I don't need your help." Chase muttered under his breath.

"Ugh! No offence, Mark, but your friend's an asshole!"

The turrets on one of the warships started firing again.

"Little help here, ROB!" Falco shouted.

More lasers flew from the _Great Fox_'s cannons and brought down the last warship. Anna looked up and saw the gigantic planet of Venom floating right in front of them.

"That planet gives me the creeps." she said, shuddering slightly.

"No surprise there." Chase replied. "Practically everything there won't hesitate to tear us limb from limb."

"The last line has been breached!" Caiman screamed.

"These guys are crazy!" the commander grumbled.

"Commander, what do we do?"

"Damn…we have no choice! DEPLOY THE GORGON! NOW!"

"That doesn't sound good." Marcus thought.

A small star-like object came out of nowhere and began hovering in front of the group.  
"Enemy ahead!" Chase shouted. "This one looks different!"

"Goddamn it!" Katt growled. "We almost made it out!"

The star-like object flashed. When the light faded, a gigantic circular ship was facing them.

"What the hell is THIS?" Marcus said in a bewildered tone.

The Gorgon opened. There was a large pad in the middle. Circling around it were three spheres of energy that were connected to the pad by means of electrical currents.

"Got a weak point, Anne?" asked Marcus.

"Weak point is…the spheres!" Anna called. "Destroy the spheres to weaken its deflector shield!"

"Copy that."

Marcus began firing at the spheres. He managed to destroy all of them with relative ease. The pad changed colors from blue to yellow. The Gorgon closed as three forty-foot long, mechanical tentacles extended from the back.

"It's closed off the core!" Anna called. "You'll need to destroy the tentacles to open it again!"

One of the tentacles swiped at Marcus, who swerved away from it. He flew toward the tentacle and was about to shoot the link connecting it to the Gorgon when one of the other ones knocked him away from it.

"Yeow! This thing packs quite a punch!" Marcus said in a slightly worried tone.

"Try again, but keep an eye on your six this time!" Falco shouted.

Taking great care not to get his ass handed to him, Marcus boosted at the tentacle again. This time, he managed to lock onto the link and hit it with a charged shot, disconnecting it from the ship.

"One down, two to go!"

The second tentacle swiped at Coyote. She ducked away from it and shot a missile at the link, destroying the tentacle.

"I took care of one for ya." she said.

"Uhh…thanks." Marcus stuttered.

"What's wrong? You're not shy, are you?"

"N-no! Who's shy? I ain't shy!"

"Alright. Whatever you say.

The third tentacle shot lasers from its tip. Falco swerved to the left and deflected a few of the shots with a barrel roll, then he flipped on his Mach 4 converter and smashed through the tentacle. The Gorgon disappeared, then reappeared a few dozen yards back. Suddenly, it rotated very quickly, spewing out small homing missiles from its edges.

"Incoming!" Anna hollered.

Marcus swerved above the missiles and boosted forward, while Falco locked onto the missiles with his Multi-Lock and blasted the all to smithereens.

The Gorgon teleported again, this time reappearing right in front of the team. It opened again. Three more energy spheres appeared and began hurling electrical bolts at the team. Marcus barrel-rolled and launched a smart bomb into the hull. The blast radius destroyed all three spheres on contact.

The pad changed color from yellow to red and the Gorgon shut again as three more tentacles extended from it. The tentacles themselves began rapidly swiping at the team again. Katt and Anna swerved up away from the Gorgon, then flew back down and blasted one link.

"Hey, are you two sisters all of a sudden?" Falco asked with a smug grin on his face.

"Let's just say it totally SUCKED being the only girl on the team until Katt showed up." Anna called back.

"Well then, I'm your number one wing mate, Annie." Katt said, grinning.

Chase locked onto the link on the second tentacle, just as the third one swatted him away like a fly.

"D'OH! Aw, man, I suck!" Chase grumbled.

Coyote rolled her eyes, then swerved down, locked onto the link of the second tentacle and destroyed it.

"And you just realized that NOW?" she asked sarcastically.

"Hey!" Chase shouted. "Shut your big mouth, you piece of sh…"

"I wouldn't finish that last word if I were you!"

"Pff! Bite me, you fuzzball!"

"Hey!" Anna shouted.

Marcus meanwhile dropped away from the third tentacle, locked onto the link and fired a smart bomb at it. The tentacle separated form the Gorgon and floated away. The Gorgon warped over to the right, then opened again. Instead of seeing a trio of energy spheres, Marcus saw an enormous energy reaction coming from the pad.

He realized all at once what the Gorgon was about to do.

"Everyone take emergency maneuvers! That thing's dropping anchor!" he shouted.

Everyone managed to swerve out of the way as a massive, multi-colored laser beam fired from the pad. After a few moments, the laser faded and the Gorgon reappeared in front of Marcus.

It opened again. This time, three energy spheres were rotating around the pad.

"Let's take 'em all out!" Falco shouted.

Falco, Marcus and Chase all began shooting at the spheres. The spheres themselves began launching more bolts of electricity and deflected the lasers.

"Get closer in!" Marcus ordered.

The _Arwing III_, _Slip Strap_, and _Sky Claw_ boosted forward and fired again. This time, the Gorgon was unable to detect their laser fire and the three spheres were pad's color changed from red to a yellow-and-black radioactive symbol.

"The shield's gone!" Anna hollered. "Everybody go for the core!"

The six ships all lined up, locked onto the Gorgon's core and shot a smart bomb (or, in Coyote's case, a missile.) at it. The explosives collided in such a brutal force that they sent the Gorgon hurtling away. When it was about a kilometer away from the team, it self-destructed.

"NO!" Caiman screamed. "They've taken down the Gorgon!"

"All units fall back and return to base!" the commander shouted.

The remaining Venomian units turned and fled straight back to Venom.

"Yeah, that's right, you BETTER run!" Katt called after them.

"Let's get outta here before they come back!" Falco said.

The team, Coyote and the _Great Fox_ boosted out of the area at high speed.

**10 minutes later**

After continuously flying for ten minutes, the team caught sight of Sauria.

"Wow, look at that!" Katt said. "It's so beautiful!"

"Not only that, but it's the only planet that hasn't been altered by Cornerians." Chase said. "It has the most well preserved environment out of all the other planets."

"OK, here's the plan." Anna started.

"Whoa, hold up there, sister!" Coyote interrupted somewhat rudely.

"Excuse me, but I'm trying to talk here!"

"Yeah, and you're doin' a great job, too."

"What now, O'Donnell?" asked Chase impatiently.

"First off, I have a first name. I suggest you call me by it. Second, what exactly are you guys doing out here in the first place?"

"Classified." Falco said.

"Which means?"

"We could tell you, but then we'd have to arrest you." Chase answered.

"Pff! Says you."

"Exactly my point."

"May I continue now…UNINTERRUPTED?" Anna asked.

"Go ahead. I'm done." Coyote replied.

"Thank you. As I was saying, the dominant Saurian dinosaurs are very welcoming to our kind, but it would be a good idea to cause as little disturbance as possible. Mark?"

"Right here." Marcus replied.

"Since you're Fox's son, the Saurians will DEFINITELY take a liking to you. I recommend that you go in solo and search for any information regarding the Krazoa Keys."

"Krazoa Keys, huh?" Coyote asked. "Now THAT'S something you don't hear every day."

"Oh, damn!" Anna cursed.

"It's gonna be hard looking for something like that by yourself." Coyote said. "How about I go with you?"

"H-Huh?" Marcus stuttered. "Y-you...with me?"

"Sure! You need all the help you can get, right?"

"Oh, no!" Chase spoke up. "You're not following Marcus just so you can snatch one of the Keys and make a quick buck!"

"I don't want the Keys!" Coyote replied angrily. "I just wanna help Mark!"

Marcus thought deeply about what Coyote had offered. He wasn't too sure he could trust her with this mission, but then again, it would be nice to have some company.

"Well….I don't know…"

Coyote swerved up next to Marcus. Their gazes locked.

"Aw, c'mon." Coyote begged, putting on her best puppy-dog pout. "Puh-leeeeeze?"

Marcus couldn't stand that face. He didn't like to see a teenage girl (especially Coyote) beg like that. The way she was looking at him had instantly made his face flush bright red.

"Alright, alright!" Marcus abruptly answered. "Dammit, how light-hearted am I?"

Chase got angry again.

"Great! He's submitting to her AGAIN!" he furiously thought.

"OK, then, it's settled." Katt concluded. "Coyote's goin' with Mark!"

"The rest of you stay aboard the _Great Fox_ until we get back. Ka-peesh?" Marcus said.

"Got it!" Anna replied.

"Check and mate!" Falco answered.

"You betcha!" Katt responded.

"Whatever." Chase grumbled.

"Well, let's go." Coyote said.

The _Arwing III_ and the _Iron Maiden_ turned and boosted towards Sauria. As soon as Marcus and Coyote were out of earshot, Anna started howling with laughter.

"What's so funny?" Falco demanded.

"I just realized something." Anna giggled. "Coyote came out here by herself and offered to help us just so she could get close to Marcus."

"Besides his complete and utter downfall," Chase replied angrily. "What the hell are you tryin to say?"

"I'm saying that MARCUS HAS A GIRLFRIEND!"


	17. Friends in Strange Places

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

**Friends in Strange Places **

**Moon Mountain Pass, Planet Sauria**

Marcus and Coyote swerved down into the atmosphere above the surface. Below them was a dark canyon structured completely out of violet-hued rock. There didn't seem to be much vegetation. The smoky clouds given off from a dormant volcano nearby covered up Solar's light, drenching the whole area in twilight.

"A little barren, don't you think?" Coyote said.

"This is only one area. The other locations have gotta be flourishing if they aren't close to that volcano." Marcus replied.

Suddenly, the _Arwing III_'s engine sputtered. So did the _Iron Maiden_'s.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Coyote asked in a panicked tone.

"I dunno. Let's get to the ground and we'll check it out." Marcus answered.

They piloted their ships to the ground and landed in front of what looked a lot like a wooden fort that divided one half of the canyon from the other. Marcus powered down the engine and checked the fuel meter on his ship. It was beeping and the gauge was empty.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! Come on!" he angrily growled.

"What's wrong?" Coyote asked.

"My ship's fuel tank is empty! And I don't have any fuel cells left for it!"

"Hey, I'm out, too!"

The teens opened the cockpits of their ships and hopped out. Marcus looked around the terrain. He wasn't exactly sure that leaving their ships out there in the open was a good idea, but then again, they had no other choice.

"Damn! I guess we're stuck here 'til we get more cells." Marcus grumbled.

"No sense standing here whining about it." Coyote said, stepping up next to him. "Where should we start looking for the Keys?"

"How the hell would I know? It's not like I live here!"

Coyote heard footsteps. She looked toward the fort.

"Maybe not, but I'm pretty sure that HE does." she said, pointing forward.

Marcus looked at the fort. A creature about their size with a long tail, yellow scales, a leather vest and leather shorts was running toward them.

It was a Sharpclaw.

"Looks like that guy needs help." Coyote said.

"Probably. C'mon. Let's see what he wants." Marcus replied.

Marcus and Coyote ran toward the Sharpclaw. When they reached him, he doubled over, panting.

"You OK, buddy?" Marcus asked.

The Sharpclaw took in a few deep breathes, then stood up. Just then, the worst case scenario happened: he started speaking to them in Saurian language.

"Kxo Earthwalkers doot 0eih xocf! Kxo RedEye uho ukkusbadw kxo Walled City!"

"Wait, WHAT?" Marcus exclaimed.

The Sharpclaw got a confused look on his face, wondering why this strange visitor hadn't understood him. Perhaps he had spoken a little too fast. So he said the same thing, only slower.

"I can't understand you! Don't you speak English?" Marcus replied.

Coyote groaned in disgust, pulled out a pint-sized speaker and handed it to Marcus.

"Put that in your ear." she instructed.

He did. The Sharpclaw spoke again, but this time the speaker translated his words into English.

"How am I not being clear here? Are you deaf or something?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"No, we just don't speak Saurian." Coyote replied. "Now, what's wrong?"

"I said, the Earthwalkers need your help! The RedEye are attacking the Walled City!"

"Hey, my dad's friend Tricky is an Earthwalker!" Marcus said to Coyote.

"Maybe he knows where the Krazoa Keys are." Coyote replied.

She turned back to the Sharpclaw.

"Is there a quick way we can get to the Walled City from here?"

"There's a shortcut through the Volcano Force Point Temple that you can use. If you like, I can take you there."

"Uhh…OK, thanks." Marcus said.

"Come on! Follow me!" the Sharpclaw called turning and running back the way he came. Coyote and Marcus sprinted after him.

"What do you call yourselves?" the Sharpclaw asked.

"I'm Marcus McCloud." Marcus answered. "This is Coyote O'Donnell. Yourself?"

"My name is Damalgo. Just Damalgo. Why are you guys here?"

"What, are you interrogating us or something?"

"No. I'm just curious. We rarely ever have visitors on our planet."

"We…actually _I_ was assigned to find out what on this planet is assisting in the creation of nuclear weaponry."

"Well, it ain't me. I don't even know what 'nuclear' means."

"That's why we're looking for the Krazoa Keys. The Krazoa Master may be able to tell us what we need to know."

Damalgo stopped.

"Hang on. If only you we're assigned to come here," (Here he pointed at Coyote.) "What's she doing here?"

"Just tagging along, really." Coyote answered. "What's it to you?"

"Hey, take it easy. I'm just askin', that's all."

"Why exactly did you come to us for help?" asked Marcus. "Can't the Earthwalkers handle the RedEye?"

"Are you kidding? Those monsters are vicious! I swear that those bastards live for little more than to make small creatures' lives a living hell! And I came to you because I figured you'd be able to shoot 'em dead with those spaceship…things."

"Fat chance. They're out of fuel. They're useless like that."

"…Well, that sucks."

Damalgo looked ahead.

"We're here." he said.

The three stood in front of a massive stone arch that led into a hallway that seemed to be wavering.

"Let's head in, then." Marcus said.

"Watch your step." Damalgo warned. "This temple is full of lava and some pretty dangerous pests."

Coyote pulled out two full-auto pistols. Marcus unsheathed his staff and extended it.

"Oh, I think we're good." Coyote replied.

Damalgo grinned and pulled out a spiked, iron mace.

"I like the way you guys think."

The three ran into the temple. That's when Marcus figured out why the room was wavering: it had to be at least 40 degrees Celsius in there! All three of them immediately started sweating.

"As if Solar wasn't enough…"

The three walked into the next room. A pit with lava at the bottom lay in front of them. Three platforms stuck out of the wall.

Marcus looked at Coyote. She looked at him. He smirked and stepped back.

"Ladies first." he said.

Coyote scowled.

"Wuss." she said.

Still, she sucked in a deep breath and proceeded to hop from platform to platform. Damalgo followed her, and Marcus followed him. When Marcus reached the last platform his foot slipped. He let out a shout of surprise as he nearly fell. Suddenly, Coyote grabbed his wrist and hauled him up.

"No need to thank me…but do it, anyway." she said smugly.

"Don't push your luck, kid." Marcus replied, raising one eyebrow.

Usually Marcus was the rescuer. Now Coyote had rescued him twice! Now they were even…or was there something more that Coyote wanted from him?

The three continued down the hall. They came across a hole that dropped into another hallway and led elsewhere, but getting in seemed impossible as the entrance was blocked by a raging flame. Marcus felt his staff rumbling in his hand. He looked at it. It was essentially telling him "Concentrate and let me handle this."

Marcus aimed the staff at the fire and concentrated. Suddenly, a thin sheet of ice flew from the tip of the staff and doused the flame.

"First the rocket thing and now that?" Coyote said in a flabbergasted tone. "Is your mother a witch or something?"

"Believe me; I have no idea." Marcus answered.

"I gotta get me one of those." Damalgo said, ogling the staff.

The three jumped down the chute and continued up the path. Up ahead of them lay a rocky wall that one could easily climb if they got a good enough grip on it. Marcus turned to Coyote.

"If you say 'Ladies first' again, I'll kick your ass." she said.

"Alright, I'm goin'. Jeez!"

Marcus sheathed his staff, got a good grip on the wall and proceeded to hoist himself up. He stopped when he suddenly heard a loud shrieking noise echo through the air.

"Watch out!" Damalgo shouted. "It's a Shriekbat!"

"Nice name." Marcus jokingly thought, but he looked behind him just the same.

A large creature with spiked wings that were as long as Marcus' legs was flying straight at him with its talons reached out.

"I don't think so!" Coyote shouted.

She flipped out her guns, aimed them at the Shriekbat and pulled the triggers. The bullets quickly soared through the air and hit the ugly creature square in the chest. It shrieked in pain and fell into the pool of lava below.

Coyote holstered her guns.

"No sweat." she said, crossing her arms. "Now move your ass, buster."

"Well I never!" Marcus thought as he continued climbing with Coyote and Damalgo following him.

**20 minutes later**

Damalgo held up a torch as he led Marcus and Coyote through a dark tunnel in the temple. The three had been hopping platforms, swinging over pits of lava and crawling through tunnels like this for what felt like hours, and now all three of them were covered from head to tail in dirt, grime and sweat.

"We're almost there." Damalgo said.

"Certainly took us long enough." Coyote groaned.

They crawled out of the dark tunnel and into a dimly lit grass path. The trees up above blocked out most of the sunlight with their extremely fat leaves, but up ahead they could see a gigantic wall with suns and crescent moons carved into it. Damalgo threw the torch into a puddle of water, where it instantly fizzled out, then ran with Marcus and Coyote to the giant wall. They stopped at what appeared to be a door.

"So this is the Walled City?" Coyote asked.

"What was your first clue?" asked Damalgo, rolling his eyes.

"I guess even dinosaurs know how to be rude!"

Marcus pressed his ear to the wall. He heard a heavy stomping noise from inside…as though some gigantic monster were walking around inside, waiting for them to come in so it could tear them limb from limb.

He stepped back and looked up at the wall. It looked at least fifteen feet high.

"Walking through the front door is DEFINETLY out of the question. It's gotta be locked." he thought.

He looked at Coyote and Damalgo. From what Marcus gathered, they were both 5'7, with Damalgo being lighter. Marcus himself was about 5'8", thus making him the heaviest. And if he knew anything, it was that five times three equaled fifteen.

Just like that, a light bulb went on in his head. He stood next to the wall and crouched down.

"Coyote, get on my shoulders." he said.

"Uhh…OK. I don't see where this going, but alright."

She struggled to get on Marcus' back, accidentally Charlie-horsing him while she was at it, but she managed to get up with both feet on his shoulders.

"Now Damalgo…ow…you get on Coyote's shoulders." Marcus instructed.

He did.

"OK. Now…damn, you guys are heavy…I'm gonna stand up. When I'm up all the way, Coyote stands up. When she's all the way up, Damalgo climbs over the wall and opens the gate. Ready?"

"Go for it." Coyote said.

"Check and mate." Damalgo said.

"One…two…three!"

Marcus slowly unbent his knees under the heavy strain. When his legs were straight, Coyote stood up. When her legs were straight, Damalgo grabbed the wall and hoisted himself over.

Coyote hopped down from Marcus' back.

"Good idea, Mark." she said.

"Thanks….wow, you really Charlie-horsed me back there."

"Hey, look on the bright side. It could have been your cro…"

Before Coyote could finish her sentence, a loud snap came from inside.

"I got it, you guys!" Damalgo called from the other side.

Using all of his strength, Damalgo pushed the great stone gate open. Marcus and Coyote dashed inside. The three hid behind a large stone slab and carefully peeked around it. About fifteen massive, twenty-foot tall dinosaurs with red eyes were walking around, almost as though they were guarding something. In the center of the city, there was a grand temple. Along the outer edges, several moderately sized dinosaurs with shield-like heads and horns (Earthwalkers, but we call them Triceratops) were standing well away from the RedEye.

"What now?" Damalgo asked in a whisper. "If one of them sees us, we'll have the whole pack on our tails!"

"We've gotta take down those RedEye so the Earthwalkers can come down from the temple." Marcus replied.

"And how do we do that, smart one?" Coyote asked sarcastically.

"I don't know. I'm makin' this up as I go along. All I know is that the Earthwalkers must know something about the Krazoa Keys so…guys?"

He stopped his sentence when both Coyote and Damalgo began staring behind him with wide eyes.

All at once, Marcus got the gist.

"There's something bad behind me, isn't there?"

The RedEye behind him let out a loud roar. Marcus didn't waste any time. He flipped over the RedEye, unsheathed his staff and impaled the giant reptile's head with the spear end. The massive beast fell dead on the ground.

"Pardon my French, but now you've done it!" Coyote said angrily.

And so he had. The other RedEye heard their comrade's loud roar and were now walking toward the group's hiding place to investigate.

"Split up and find shelter!" Marcus screamed.

The three sprinted away from the slab as quickly as their legs could carry them. Two RedEye immediately spotted Marcus, roared and began running after.

"CRAP, CRAP, CRAPPITY, CRAP, CRAP!" he screamed as he picked up his pace.

He saw a tree just a few feet from the wall of the temple. With the proper leverage, one could easily propel themselves up onto the wall. That's when Marcus remembered the last attempt at his Mom's trick six years ago. He had….epically failed, but he had longer legs now that he was sixteen, obviously meaning he could propel himself further. Besides, last time he wasn't being chased by a RedEye, so now he had actual motivation.

He had no choice. He sped up, jumped at the tree and kicked himself off it. He reached his hands up and just barely caught the edge of the stone wall.

"Yes!" he thought relieved.

He pulled himself away from the RedEyes' snapping jaws and took in a few deep breathes.

"Who are you?" asked the Earthwalker standing behind him.

Marcus turned. The Earthwalker had purple and yellow scales, and he had several odd jewels fixed to his head.

"Wait…King Tricky?" Marcus asked.

"Yes, that's me."

"I'm…"

Suddenly, the two RedEye that were chasing Marcus roared again.

"Could you excuse me for a second?" Marcus said to Tricky.

Marcus pulled out his staff as it began to rumble again. He held it high over his head, and then slammed the tip into the ground. The impact caused a small earthquake that was enough to knock the two RedEye over.

"Here!" Tricky called, throwing Marcus a glittering sword with his mouth. "Use that!"

"Alright! Now we're talkin'!" Marcus cheered.

He took a flying leap off the stone ledge with the sword in his right hand, the staff in his right. When he landed, he ran up to the fallen RedEye and impaled them one by one through the head.

Coyote back-flipped through the jaws of one of the vicious dinosaurs, then as it came after her, she turned around, whipped out her pistols and blasted the RedEye's throat. The beast fell dead with a loud crash.

She turned and saw two more charging towards her.

"One, two, unpin and BOOM!" she thought smugly.

She pulled a grenade out of her pocket. As soon as the closest RedEye roared at her, she pulled out the pin and threw it into the beast's mouth. Being as dumb as a rock, the RedEye swallowed the bomb. The explosive detonated inside it, and it fell on top of its partner, who bucked its back and sent the corpse flying off of it.

"Oh, you want some, too, do ya?" Coyote mocked. "Alright. Catch me if you can!"

With that, she turned and continued to sprint forward.

Damalgo took in a deep breath, dove into the blue water of a deep stream and pulled out his crossbow. When one of the RedEye passed above on a stone bridge, Damalgo shot a poisoned arrow from his underwater hiding place. The arrow soared into the beast's right nostril. It looked around for where the projectile might have come from. Was it over here, or was it over there? Suddenly, it inhaled the toxin. It felt woozy, then its eyes rolled back into its head. Finally, it fell into the stream and sank to the bottom.

"Ruthless, but sometimes, that is what's necessary." Damalgo thought.

Even though he was a Sharpclaw, and his father had served General Scales, Damalgo hated violence. He was one to realize, however, that violence was sometimes necessary for justice. Acts like execution of aggressive species were one such example.

"Forgive me, RedEye brother." He whispered as he pulled himself out of the water. "You left me no choice."

Another RedEye roared at the young Sharpclaw and immediately started running at him. Damalgo pulled out his spiked mace. The RedEye snapped its powerful jaws at Damalgo, who nimbly sidestepped and leaped onto the beast's head. The carnivorous dinosaur stood up and began violently throwing its head back and forth, trying to buck Damalgo off of its back. Damalgo himself held on with the grip of a crocodile's maw. After getting a firm hold on the RedEye's head, he brought the spikes on his mace flat down onto the beast's scaly cranium. It flinched, then tripped over its own feet and fell into the water, but not before Damalgo took a flying leap off of its head.

Marcus meanwhile steadily pooled over any possible strategy in his head. From what he had seen so far, the RedEye had horrible footing and could easily be knocked over with the "Ground Quake". When he did that, he would have a few moments to finish them off before they got up and started their rampage all over again.

"Tricky must have known that, too." he thought. "Otherwise, why would he throw me the sword?"

A sudden snort behind him made Marcus freeze in his tracks. He quickly whipped out his staff and slammed the tip into the ground. The RedEye behind him fell over onto its back, giving Marcus enough time to run up and impale the gigantic reptile's head.

Marcus' tail and ears twitched when he heard Coyote screaming. A RedEye had caught her tail and flung her straight at the temple wall.

"And now I gotta save her ass AGAIN!" Marcus grumbled.

He broke into a sprint towards Coyote and, with a flying dive, caught her. The two tumbled to the ground. Marcus shook the stars out of his eyes.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

Coyote looked at him with wide eyes.

"Y-yes…" she stammered. "Phew….that was a little scary."

"OK. Watch your ass from now on. I can't keep having close calls like this."

Coyote moved her head forward, taking a shot a kiss on Marcus' cheek, but he ran toward the RedEye that attacked her before she got the chance.

"Dammit!" she grumbled. "So close!"

The RedEye ran at Marcus with its mouth wide open.

"Hungry for some sharp steel?" Marcus mocked. "Then come get some!"

Shooting his arm up with the sword in hand, Marcus sent the blade through the roof of the RedEye's maw.

Marcus pulled the blade back. The RedEye's crimson blood ran down his arm. The RedEye itself fell backwards, dead.

The remaining RedEye began running toward the three infiltrators, when suddenly the ground quaked. The RedEye looked around for the source, thinking that these three intruders might have had something to do with it.

The ground quaked again. This time, the RedEye knew that something was wrong. They ran away as fast as they could.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Marcus grumbled.

The ground quaked for a third time this time even more violently than before.

"I think…we're in trouble." Coyote said.

Suddenly, the ground in front of the temple went flying in all directions. Another RedEye bounded out. This one, however, was far different from the ones they had faced already. The scales on this RedEye were dark green instead of a mottled grayish-brown. But the most noticeable feature was that the beast was as tall as the temple in the centre of the city, and its feet were as big as the _Landmaster_!

"OH MY GOD!" Coyote shrieked.

"IT'S KING REDEYE! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" Damalgo hollered.

Their screams instantly drew King RedEye's attention. He swerved his head around and caught sight of the three morsels running away from him as fast as they could. He let out a loud roar and ran after them, making a huge quake with every step he took.

Marcus looked back for a quick second.

"I thought Dad killed that monster!" he screamed in his head. "Now it's back from the dead?"

A gleam on King RedEye's head quickly caught Marcus' attention. Instead of a right eye, the massive lizard had a gemstone stuck in his eye socket. An oddly shaped stone that looked like a small bust. It was a Krazoa Key!

The three hid behind another stone slab, their hearts pounding like hammers in their chests.

"OK…" Marcus breathed. "For the record…I think I just wet myself."

"Let's get out of here!" Coyote said. "We won't last much longer with that…that…THING chasing after us!"

"You're right." Damalgo panted. "King RedEye has killed everyone that encounters him…well, except Fox McCloud."

"Who cares? Let's just get out of here before we get torn to shreds!"

"No!" Marcus replied. "He's got a Krazoa Key! If we're gonna figure out what's going on down here, we need to get it! Besides, we gotta help those Earthwalkers!"

Coyote groaned in disgust. For a cute guy, Marcus sure was stubborn. But she knew that he was right.

"Alright, fine! You win. But you can't fight that colossus with that staff OR that sword. He's got skin like a tank!"

Marcus smirked,

"A tank, eh?"

He spoke into his comm.

"ROB, it's _Landmaster_ time!"

Within seconds, the _Landmaster_ was beamed down onto the ground, but unfortunately, it was on the other side of the temple. The three would have to run past King RedEye to get to it.

"Not too good with coordinating, is he?" Coyote asked.

"I heard that!" ROB blared.

"Well, excuse me!"

"OK….ready…GO!" Marcus screamed.

The three sprinted out from behind the stone slab and ran for the _Landmaster_. King RedEye caught sight of them and immediately gave chase.

"Watch out!" Damalgo shouted as King RedEye brought his tail down.

The three rolled away from the massive tree-like tail. The intense quake that resulted nearly threw them off their feet, but they regained their balance and kept running. After what seemed like an hour, they reached the _Landmaster_. Marcus remotely opened the cockpit and they all leaped inside.

Marcus shut the hatch door and swerved around to face their giant reptilian adversary.

"All systems go! Engage!"

The tank rolled toward King RedEye at top speed. The King roared and began running toward it. As soon as the _Landmaster_ was about fifty feet away from the gargantuan RedEye, Marcus fired the cannon at the King's head. He cocked his head and deflected the attack.

"Try a charged shot!" Anna shouted through the comm.

Marcus quickly charged the cannon, locked onto King RedEye's head, and fired. The King stumbled backwards, but quickly recovered from the blow and fired a laser from his maw.

"Incoming!" Damalgo shouted.

Marcus groaned, but performed a barrel-roll just the same. Anna's voice crackled on the comm.

"It looks like severe blows to the head will temporarily stun him." she said. "Shoot him again. When, or if, you hit him, hop out and use the Ground Quake to knock him over."

"Shoot the head, shake the ground, Big Cheese falls over. Got it." Marcus responded. "And what do mean 'if'?"

"Just…y'know…if."

Marcus floored the boost pedal and rocketed toward King RedEye. The King fired another laser from his mouth. The _Landmaster_ barrel-rolled again.

"Could you please stop doing that?" Coyote said in a dazed tone. "I'm gonna puke all over you two if you do that again."

"Thanks for being so reassuring." Damalgo said sarcastically.

"Oh great! Dinosaurs can be sarcastic, too!"

"Yeah, we can. I suggest you get used to it."

"Hey, no fighting back there!" Marcus said, just before retching and nearly hurling. "But I really need to get Chase to fix that before it gives me brain trauma."

Suddenly, King RedEye seized the _Landmaster_ in his massive jaws and threw it halfway across the courtyard.

"Brace for impact!" Marcus screamed.

The tank slammed into the ground, sending its passengers hurled around on the inside like rag dolls.

"Thanks for the tip…oh, God…" Coyote groaned.

Marcus swerved out of the carter made from the impact. King RedEye roared at the _Landmaster_ again.

"OK, this is the last straw!" Marcus shouted. "I'm sending this guy straight to hell when I'm done with him!"

He floored the boost pedal and immediately sped toward King RedEye. He locked onto the King's head.

"Try this one on for size, big boy." he grumbled, slamming the bomb button.

A smart bomb went soaring through the air and slammed into the King's head. The resulting explosion sent him into an even bigger dizzy spell than before.

"Now, Mark!" Coyote shouted. "Finish him off!"

Marcus ejected from the _Landmaster_ and sprinted toward King RedEye. He quickly unsheathed his staff and the Earthwalker Blade. As soon as he stooped at the King's giant foot, he slammed the staff into the ground with all his strength. The King tripped over his own feet and hit the ground with a bigger quake than the one Marcus had just made.

Marcus placed his foot on the King's head and raised the sword over his head.

"Trust me; you don't know what you're dealing with."

Using all of his strength, Marcus slammed the blade into King RedEye's head. The King himself let out one last pained shriek before the last of his strength faded away. His one eye closed, and finally, he died. Marcus jumped off the dead King's head, pulling the blade out with him.

Coyote and Damalgo came up behind him. He took in a few deep breathes.

"Phew. I guess that's that."

"Oh, yeah. You are DEFINITELY Fox McCloud's son." Damalgo said, glancing in disbelief at the gigantic dead reptile.

Suddenly, the three were surrounded by hundreds of cheering Earthwalkers. Tricky made his way through them and walked toward Marcus.

"So you're Fox's son." he said.

"Yeah."

"I must say, it took a lot of courage to defeat a creature as fearsome as the RedEye King. Then again, I should expect nothing less from you."

Marcus planed the sword into the ground in front of him.

"You don't wanna touch that after where it's been." he said.

Tricky cocked his head toward the dead King RedEye.

"Rest assured, I don't think you're quite finished with him yet."

Marcus looked at the Krazoa Key stuck firmly into King RedEye's eye socket. He walked over to it, took his staff in hand, and plunged the spear end into the socket.

"Oh, gross!" Coyote exclaimed.

"You think THAT'S gross? You should've seen what Fox and I had to go through." Tricky replied.

With a little leverage, the Key popped out into Marcus' open hand.

"Two down, one to go." he muttered.

"I see you're looking for the Krazoa Keys." Tricky said.

"Yes." Marcus answered. "You wouldn't happen to know where the last one is, would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. The third Krazoa Key lies deep within Krazoa Palace. An obvious hiding place, but getting there is certainly more of a challenge than it's worth. If you go to the Thorntail Hollow, I'm sure that the Warpstone will gladly get you there without much hassle."

"Wow. You really know this planet well."

Tricky smirked and rolled his eyes.

"That's kind of my job as king around here. But I strongly suggest that you three rest here for the night. Thorntail Hollow is very far away from here, and you all look exhausted."

Just then, Marcus' stomach growled, and he immediately became aware of just how hungry he really was.

"Uhh… yeah. It also looks like I forgot something in my so-called foolproof plan: food!"

Damalgo handed both Marcus and Coyote a spherical yellow object.

"Umm…are we supposed to EAT this? I mean…what is it?" Coyote asked in disbelief.

"It's called a PukPuk Egg." Damalgo answered.

Both Marcus and Coyote winced.

"Did you just say 'egg'?" Marcus asked, his face going a little green. "I'm not eating this if there's something LIVING inside it!"

"Don't worry; it's not really an egg. You crack it open and drink the stuff inside it. It's kinda like a coconut."

Marcus and Coyote hesitated, then cracked the PukPuk Egg open on a rock. They took in a deep breath before drinking the warm, white liquid inside. Believe it or not, it tasted very sweet.

"Hey, this stuff ain't half bad!" Coyote said with a big grin across her face.

"Damalgo?" Tricky asked.

Damalgo turned to Tricky.

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm going to have to ask you to go with them. They could use a guide."

"Not a problem, sir. Anything to help 'em out. Besides, I think today might be the start of a beautiful friendship."

"Great." Coyote said, rolling her eyes. "Another little companion."

"Hey, trust me; you NEED help if you're gonna get off of here alive."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. But you don't know what you're getting yourself into, believe me!"

"Alright." Marcus said, clapping his hands together. "We're headin' out in the morning."


	18. Enemies are Forever

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

**Enemies Are Forever**

**December 4****th**** 2053**

**Thorntail Hollow, Planet Sauria**

"Just kill me now and put me out of my misery!" Marcus groaned.

"At least we made it." Damalgo panted.

After almost a day of nearly nonstop walking, Marcus, Coyote and Damalgo finally reached Thorntail Hollow. The friendly Thorntails greeted them as they walked by, but couldn't help but remark to each other about how weary these travelers looked.

Just then, Coyote collapsed.

"I think my feet are gonna snap off if I keep going..." she whined.

Marcus leaned over her.

"C'mon, Coyote! We can't stop now! Stand up!"

Coyote sat up and mindlessly stretched her arms toward Marcus with her eyes closed.

"Carry me." she said meekly.

"Wha...are you…come on, you can't be THAT tired! Quit being such a baby!"

Coyote answered with a pained groan. Marcus rolled his eyes. She was either really tired or such a baby that she couldn't stand up and walk a little longer. Either way, this girl really knew how to make him cave in the blink of an eye.

"Alright, fine." Marcus said. "Lord have mercy on my lazy companion…"

Marcus bent over, heaved Coyote off the ground and cradled her in his arms.

"You know," Damalgo said. "You guys look like you'd make a great couple."

"I'm doing this because she's too lazy to get up after a whole day of walking, not because I feel sorry for her!"

"Alright…it's just that you're cradling your girlfriend there and…"

"She's not my girlfriend! She's a girl and she's a friend, but she's NOT a girlfriend!"

Coyote looked up at him.

"You sure about that?" she asked mischievously, giving him a cute, cat-like look.

Marcus scowled at her.

"Will you two stop making fun of me?"

They continued walking for a while before Damalgo spoke up again.

"Do you think we'll recognize this…Warpstone guy when we see him?" he asked. "I've never seen him myself.

"Dunno." Marcus answered. "Maybe he'll know us."

"OI!" a loud voice boomed from across the Hollow.

The group turned towards the source of the voice. A 30-foot tall statue in the shape of man was beckoning to them from a plateau about fifty feet away.

"Over here, lad!" it shouted.

"Uhh…OK!" Marcus shouted back.

He looked at Coyote and Damalgo with a weird look on his face that essentially meant "Tell me I'm not crazy!"

"Is it just me, or did that statue just talk to me?" he asked in a bewildered tone. "Because I know for a fact that statues don't talk!"

"How exactly do you know that for a fact?" Damalgo asked

Marcus rolled his eyes.

"Forget the questioning. Let's just go!"

The group trekked over toward the giant statue. They found a hole in a small wall that led into a large grove where the statue was placed. The grove itself had several stone bridges arching over a large pool of water. The pool had a large stone column where the statue was planted. A large waterfall poured down from one side. Marcus (who was still cradling Coyote) and Damalgo stood in front of the statue, which looked down at them with a big hearty smile.

"Ah, the son of the great Fox McCloud!" it said in a loud, male, Scottish voice. "I've been expecting ye, lad!"

Marcus nervously grinned.

"Heh. Yeah, that's me."

The statue caught sight of Coyote in Marcus' arms and chuckled.

"Looks like you've become quite a catch for that little lassie, eh?"

Marcus flushed bright red and stood Coyote on her feet.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" he uselessly stammered. "She…she's not my…you think she's my…"

Coyote stepped forward.

"We may look cute together, but he's not my boyfriend."

Here she got right against Marcus and seemed to coyly nuzzle his shoulder.

"At least, that's what HE thinks." she finished.

Marcus shut his eyes and started grumbling to himself.

"She's not here. She doesn't exist. I don't see her. I don't hear her. I don't sense her presence…"

The statue chuckled again.

"In any case, I welcome the three of ye." he said. "I be the mighty Warpstone."

"Whoa, YOU'RE the Warpstone?" Damalgo exclaimed.

"I see where the 'stone' part came from." Coyote smirked.

"Now then, to business. Tricky told me that the lot of ye are lookin' for the three Krazoa Keys, correct?" the Warpstone asked.

"That's right." Marcus answered.

"As Tricky said before, the third Key dwells within the Krazoa Palace. Getting you there is easy for me, but there are a few things that ye should know before I send you there."

"We're listening." Coyote said, crossing her arms.

"The first thing is that once you're taken there, ye won't be able to come back until ye found the Key."

"And?"

"I can't warp dinosaurs, so your friend will have to stay behind."

"What?" Marcus exclaimed. "But we never would have gotten this far if it hadn't been for him! You can't expect us to just leave him behind, can you?"

"Hey, relax, Mark." Damalgo said. "I'll be right here when you get back. I'm not goin' anywhere."

Coyote chuckled.

"I guess you're harder to get rid of poison ivy, huh?"

She started laughing, but when she saw that Marcus and Damalgo had raised their brows at her, her laughter quickly faded away.

"I'll shut up now." she said.

Damalgo looked at Marcus.

"Seriously, how do you put up with THAT?" he asked, jerking his thumb at Coyote.

Marcus shrugged.

"You get used to it."

"Right, then, Marcus! Any questions?" the Warpstone asked.

"Just one: what EXACTLY is in Krazoa Palace?" Marcus asked.

"…Tell ye the truth, I ain't quite sure. Guess you'll find out soon enough, eh? Now then, how 'bout the two of ye get goin'?"

Marcus and Coyote looked at each other, nodded, then looked back at the Warpstone.

"We're ready." they said.

The Warpstone opened his left hand and held it out. Coyote and Marcus stepped onto it. Suddenly, a bright blue light enveloped them and carried them high into the air. From their perspective, however, they seemed to be tumbling through hyperspace.

Coyote grabbed Marcus' hand.

"Tell me when it's over!" she screamed, shutting her eyes.

Suddenly, there was a quick, bright flash, and they could both feel the ground beneath their feet.

"It's over."

**Upon looking...**

Coyote and Marcus were now standing in front of a massive temple that had to be at least 500 feet high. Several odd, jellyfish-like creatures were mindlessly floating around in front of the entrance. Rain was rapidly falling from the cloudy, gray sky.

"So THIS is Krazoa Palace." Marcus said, looking around.

"Hm." Coyote grunted. "It's a little bigger than I thought."

Marcus wasn't paying any attention as he turned on a transmission line to Anna.

"Anna, I'm sending the data to you. Could you narrow down the options of where the Key might be?"

Anna replied through the comm.

"I'm detecting an unnatural energy signature at the peak of the temple. It appears to be some sort of sacrificial altar. You might wanna check that out."

"Got it. Mark out."

Marcus switched off his comm. Coyote looked around the place, with great recognition in her eyes. Marcus was quick to take notice of this.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

Coyote shook her deep thoughts out of her head.

"I think I've seen this place before…in a dream." she replied.

"A dream? What happened in it?"

Coyote scowled.

"It's none of your business. Let's just get moving."

"Sheesh. Sorry I asked, then."

Marcus began walking toward the palace entrance. Coyote followed behind, wishing she actually had told Marcus about her dream. She liked it when people worried about her. It gave her the knowing that someone cared about her. But once again, she didn't dare to speak of her true feeling towards him, because once again, it would be far too embarrassing.

Marcus pulled out his staff and Coyote her auto-pistols as they approached the hazardous jellyfish.

"Be careful of those jellyfish!" Anna warned through the comm. "Their tentacles are coated with some kinda poison that'll shock you if you touch it!"

As though the mindless creature knew they were there, it started spinning toward them. Marcus shot the creature with a fireball from his staff, causing it to disappear in a blinding flash. The two stopped in front of a small entryway. It was barricaded by tough wooden planks.

"Boards?" Marcus said aloud. "Has someone been here before us?"

Coyote walked over to the planks and rapped her knuckles on them.

"I'm guessing that this is probably that kind of wood that doesn't burn." she said. "Your Fire Blaster's gonna be useless. What do we do now?"

Marcus' eyes roamed around until he spotted a fuel barrel. Before his sickening feeling of suspicion flared up again, a light bulb went on in his head. He walked over to the barrel, picked it up and placed it right in front of the planks. Then he stood back a few feet and aimed his staff at it.

"I'd back off a bit if I were you." he warned.

Coyote took a few steps back from the barricaded entrance, and Marcus fired at the barrel. The barrel exploded and the boards flew apart, leaving a human-sized hole. The two holstered their weapons and slipped inside. It was extremely dark in the next room, so dark that Marcus and Coyote couldn't see their own hands in front of their faces.

"You got a flashlight?" asked Coyote.

Marcus looked at the staff in his hand. It rumbled for a few seconds, then the firing end lit up with a powerful light.

"I would assume so."

The two continued through the room, making sure they stayed in the light of the staff, brushing away the cobwebs that stretched across several crisscrossing metal rafters. The next room had a large stone switch on one end of the room, and a large stone door on the other.

The two walked into the room, only to be thrown aside when a laser beam hit the ground they were standing on. Unfortunately, whoever was there before them had done the smart thing and placed a turret over the switch. Two flames were positioned on two pillars directly in front of two orbs, one blue and the other green. The flames changed colors from red to green to blue within even time intervals. The two orbs emitted two spotlights, which were projecting a barrier onto the turret.

Marcus had another idea, but he wasn't sure that it would work.

"Get behind me!" he shouted to Coyote.

"Not a chance!" she protested. "Like it or not, I'm helping you!"

Marcus groaned. Man, this kid was persistent.

"You're so stubborn…alright, but don't blame me if you get your butt fried."

"Okay. What do I need to do?"

"You mean besides not get shot? Go over to that pillar, wait until the flame turns green and shoot through it."

The two split up and sidled along the side of the pillar facing away from the turret, athletically dodging the large gun's blasts the whole way. Coyote's flame turned green. She pulled out her blaster and fired. The laser went through the flame, changed colors from red to green and hit the orb behind it. The orb began glowing, and the first spotlight went out.

Marcus' flame turned blue. He drew himself into full concentration and used the Fire Blaster. The fireball flew through the flame, turned blue and hit the second orb. The orb glowed. The second spotlight disappeared, taking the barrier along with it.

"Now let's both hit the gun!" Marcus shouted.

The two teens came out of their hiding places and flipped inward. The turret fired once at Marcus, who swung his staff quickly enough to deflect the laser back at the gun. The one laser temporarily stunned the turret, giving Marcus and Coyote enough time to charge up shots from both of their weapons and letting them loose. The projectiles collided with the gun and detonated it.

"Phew. I guess that's a wrap." Coyote smirked.

The two stood on the switch. Slowly but surely, the great stone door opened. However, when they stepped off the switch and prepared to run through, it immediately came down and shut again.

"What the…what happened?" Coyote sputtered.

"It looks like there has to be something on the switch at all times for the door to stay open."

"Got any more bright ideas?"

"I'll stand on the switch. You head into the other room and see if there's another way to keep the door open."

Marcus stood on the switch. The door opened and Coyote ran through. She looked around the room. There had to be a switch or lever of some sort to keep the door from closing again. Sure enough, when she looked at the wall next to her, there was an odd-looking opening built into it. She took a closer look at it and realized that it was some type of lever, but it needed something to be used as a handle.

"Mark!" she called. "Throw me your staff!"

Marcus threw the staff like a javelin. Coyote caught it and looked over the spear end, then looked at the opening. Carefully, she jammed the spear end of the staff into the opening. A perfect fit. She pulled down. Giant iron bars crossed over the spot where the door had raised. To test it, Marcus took a step off the switch. The door stayed up. He ran through the doorway. Coyote pulled out the staff and handed it to him.

This was another time that he felt dwarfed by Coyote's intellect. She had come up with that solution all on her own, and by the big smirk on her face, he could tell that she wanted credit for it.

"…uhh…" he stammered.

Coyote chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"I think the words you're looking for are 'Nice job, Coyote'."

"THAT'S what SHE said!" Chase shouted through the comm.

Coyote and Marcus stepped onto a stone platform about twenty feet below a hallway. As soon as it felt their weight on it, it slowly rose up toward the opening. The next room was easily the biggest one in the entire palace. A massive turbine was spinning in the center, propelling enough air to send them about 200 feet into the air.

The two teens looked at each other and nodded. They took a running start, bounded into the propelled air, and rocketed up like bullets. The air was enough to get them up to the fourth story of the room. Running down the circular walkway that stretched around the wall, they found another turbine that blasted them up to the top of the palace. They now stood outside, at a large altar with a human-sized hole in the center. On the other side of the platform was a large headless statue. The rain was still coming down like bullets, and the floor was very wet because of it.

Marcus concluded that this place was indeed where he thought it was.

"This is where my parents first met." he said. "My dad saved my mom's life here."

"It's so beautiful." Coyote replied. "So secure…so untouched by Cornerian hands…"

Marcus smiled slightly.

"That which the dominant one leaves at bay can grow all the more beautiful." he said in a professional sort of way.

Coyote scowled

"No need for the proverbs, Confucius." she said in an annoyed tone.

She looked around a bit more. The recognition from earlier had come back, but this time it was greater than ever.

"I know this place from my dream!" she said.

"Huh?...How can you see a place in a dream without even knowing if it exists?" Marcus replied with a look of confusion. "That just defies all logic."

"Oh, so now you're my therapist?"

Marcus was about to say something back when his ears pricked up. His ESP had reacted again. His eyes darted around for any sign of motion.

"Something wrong?" Coyote asked.

"…There's an evil presence here. I can sense it."

"So now you're my PSYCHIC therapist? Look who's defying all logic now!"

Marcus groaned. This kid had a lot to learn about him.

"Just keep your eyes peeled, will ya?" he said, unsheathing his staff.

Coyote took it as a sign of warning, so she pulled out her auto pistols and held the triggers at the ready. A loud rushing noise came from the hole in the middle, then stopped.

"What the hell was that?" Marcus thought in alert.

Slowly, Coyote and Marcus approached the hole. Even more slowly, they looked down. For a brief second, all was quiet…then suddenly…

WHOOSH! A large gust of wind threw them back into a wall.

The two shook the stars out of their eyes and stood up.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Marcus said.

All of a sudden, a giant figure standing at at least eight feet leaped out of the hole and landed in front of them. The figure looked very similar to a Sharpclaw, only much taller and with a more menacing visage. His scales were bright green, and like Damalgo, he wore a leather vest, only the one he wore was mottled gray and brown, and had a belt to go along with it. His eyes were blood red. He wore a helmet with bull horns jutting out of it, and instead of a left hand, he had two long, sharp hooks sprouting from his left wrist.

Suddenly, he burst into maniacal laughter.

"So the son of Fox McCloud has come to Sauria." he said in a menacing voice. "What brings you to a place as sacred as this?"

"I wouldn't hit him with the 'classified' bit if I were you." Coyote whispered. "He definitely ain't gonna take that for an answer."

Marcus glared at the tall dinosaur.

"Who are you to ask for my motives?" he demanded.

"How amusing that you should ask. I am the mighty General Scales!"

Marcus was taken aback by the being's answer. He was who?

"Wha…but how are you still alive?"

"I have my ways. What you should know is that I am not someone that a mere child should meddle with, as I have a terrible tendency to…how should I put this…make my adversaries disappear."

"FYI, I'm sixteen. I'm not a child. And I'm certainly not in the mood to fight you. I'm here looking for the third Krazoa Key."

"You mean this?"

Scales held up a stone. One that gleamed with a bright silver tinge.

"Just my luck." Marcus grumbled under his breath.

"Out of curiosity, why is it that you seek this relic?" Scales asked.

"I seek an answer to an important question." Marcus responded. "All I need to know is who is producing nuclear weaponry on this planet. Now hand over that stone and I'll be on my way."

Scales laughed again. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Marcus asked sternly.

"It seems that the son is not as gullible as the father. Indeed, it was I."

"I don't see what's so funny. What do you hope to achieve from terrorizing other civilizations?"

"In order to control a civilization, one must control it with fear. Otherwise, that particular civilization will try to rebel against you. I believe I told this to your mother when I first encountered her."

Coyote crossed her arms and blew a puff of air from the corner of her mouth.

"Taking over the galaxy. Typical bad guy motivation."

"My master is far stronger than I could ever be." Scales said. "I am simply…a right-hand man, if you will. He will destroy you and those you love, and then bask in the destruction left in his wake."

So there was someone else…someone far worse than Scales could ever be. But who?

Coyote smirked.

"A good bad guy doesn't monologue his plan, lizard boy. I seriously doubt that your boss is gonna let THAT one slide."

"No matter." Scales responded. "No matter at all. What makes you think you'll live long enough to tell anyone a word of it?"

With that, Scales drew a long snake sword (A sword that can extend and attack targets from a distance.) and pointed it at Marcus, who in turn drew his staff.

Scales smirked.

"A duel it shall be, then."

Marcus glanced at Coyote.

"Stay back. I'll handle this."

Coyote nodded and stood back. Marcus looked back at Scales.

"Alright." he said. "Your move."

Scales swung his blade. As he did, it extended to seven feet, and he snapped it like a whip. Marcus responded by nimbly flipping out of the way and sprinting at Scales with his staff in hand. Scales merely sidestepped away from Marcus' swift uppercut attack. His sword extended, wrapped around Marcus' foot (fortunately he was wearing boots so it didn't dig into his skin.), and brought him down to the ground. Marcus rolled out the way just as Scales made an attempt to impale him through the chest, then quickly jumped to his feet. Scales swung his flail-like blade again. Marcus jumped over the sharp end with his staff above his head. Scales blocked the attack and kicked Marcus in the stomach. The young McCloud was down on his knees gasping for breath as the evil general maniacally laughed.

"What's wrong? Do you concede defeat already?" he asked.

Marcus looked at Scales with a smirk.

"No way." he said, standing up and raising the staff over his head. "THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING!"

He brought the staff down and set off a huge earthquake. Scales nearly tripped over his own feet.

Neither the foes locked in battle nor did Coyote, the innocent bystander, see that the statue she was standing in front of had fractured slightly.

Marcus took the split second opportunity to take a heavy swing at Scales' head. As the evil general recovered quickly from the tremor, his blade extended and ensnared the staff. For a few minutes, the two opponents kept pulling on the hilts of their weapons, trying to free them from the lock caused by the snake sword. Scales took a swing at Marcus' head with his hook hand. Marcus held up the communicator on his wrist and blocked it. Finally, Scales gained the upper hand, wrenched the staff out of Marcus' hands and flung it to the side. Marcus himself dove after it when Scales seized his collarbone and flung him right into Coyote.

The two teens went flying back into the statue. They both sat up and groaned.

"Scales: 1. McCloud: 0." Coyote muttered.

"Oh, shut up!" Marcus angrily replied. "This bastard's one tough player!"

Just as Marcus finished that sentence, the storm above got worse. Lightning cracked across the sky and heavy thunder rumbled. The lightning flashed again, this time landing dangerously close to the fallen pair. Coyote suddenly looked up and screamed. The bolt of lightning had hit the statue's base and completely fractured it, causing the heavy stone monument to fall towards them. Marcus didn't know what he was thinking. He quickly stood up and held up his hands. The statue fell on his palms. His knees buckled under the intense weight of the stone, but he couldn't let go, or both he and Coyote would be crushed!

Using his shoulders, Marcus held up the statue with all his strength, keeping it an inch away from Coyote's nose as she lay on the ground, frozen in fear.

"It seems that you're all brawn and no brain, boy!" Scales laughed as he watched Marcus strain as his arms and back began to ache terribly.

That sentence set Marcus off like a firecracker on the Fourth of July. Suddenly, he felt his muscles start pumping with power. The strain on his back faded slightly. Marcus angrily sucked in some air and used all off his strength to the lift the statue away from Coyote until he was standing straight up. Finally, with a loud shout, he threw the statue over the side of the wall.

"Just like in my dream…" Coyote whispered to herself as she stood. "..Such power…"

Marcus, meanwhile, was staring with wide eyes at his hands.

"Since when was I so strong?" he thought in disbelief.

He could barely lift his dad's barbells, let alone a gigantic stone statue. So how come all of a sudden he had the strength of one hundred men? He didn't have time to ponder this as Scales leaped across the hole and charged headlong at him. Marcus nimbly front-flipped over Scales, then sprinted over to his staff and picked it up. Scales and Marcus ran toward each other with their weapons raised. The two opponents' weapons crossed. Marcus repeatedly thrust his staff at Scales, who barely sidestepped each attack, then swung his now straightened blade. Marcus blocked the blow. Scales swung again. This time, Marcus pushed heavily forward, impacting Scales' guard and sending him off balance. Marcus pushed his staff up underneath Scales' underarms and suspended him in a crucifixion hold. With that, he spun the staff in rapid circles and flung him off. Scales' sword went flying out of his hand. With an athletic front flip, Marcus caught the blade. When he landed, he extended the blade and ensnared the hooks on Scales' wrist. Then, he began spinning Scales above his head like a flail.

Finally, Marcus brought Scales down with a huge crash. The sword retracted, and Marcus tossed it aside. Scales weakly stood up, clutching his chest. Marcus walked toward him with a fiery glare in his eye.

Scales spat some blood out of the corner of his mouth.

"Is…that all you've got, kid?" he panted.

With those last words, Marcus threw a heavy roundhouse kick to Scales' head. Scales went sprawling backward until he stopped in front of the massive hole. Marcus drew his staff and pointed the spear end at Scales before the evil general could make another move.

"Yield." Marcus growled. "You're about two inches from falling to certain death, and now you have no weapon. I suggest you give us the Key and flee before I have to finish you off myself."

"Threatening me now, eh?" Scales said, heavily breathing. "I suppose there's no doubt about it…"

"What are you babbling about now?"

"…you are Kursed's offspring."

Marcus froze in his tracks. He dropped the staff. How did HE know about that?

"Only her son could possess the strength to defeat me so easily…I admired her…it's a shame that your father got her first."

Marcus angrily growled. Scales was making Fox sound like a murderer.

"Shut up! Her name is Krystal! Don't you DARE call her that!"

"Who's without a weapon now, you worm?"

Scales suddenly sprang up and slashed Marcus across the chest with his wrist hooks. Marcus screamed and fell on his back as the sharp steel ran quickly and painfully across his front. Coyote, meanwhile, was shocked to see that Scales had injured Marcus so badly with so little effort. Whatever the case, her anger had overcome her. No way was that reptilian freak getting away with that!

She ran forward at Scales.

"You bastard!" she screamed.

She lifted up her foot and kicked Scales square in the chest, sending him off balance. Scales screamed as he fell into the pit to his doom. The Krazoa Key flew out of his pocket and landed right in Coyote's hand. She slowly watched as Scales fell further and further until she couldn't see him anymore. Within a few moments, she heard a loud crash below.

"Good riddance…" she growled.

Right now, Coyote had more important things to worry about. The rain stopped and the dark clouds rolled away as she ran toward the collapsed Marcus.

'Mark! Are…are you OK?" she stammered as she knelt down beside him.

Marcus strained his face as he sat up. The dim light from Sauria's two moons illuminated them, revealing two large and slightly bloody gashes down Marcus' chest.

"I'm…fine. Just a little winded, that's all…did you get the Key?"

"Wha…well, yes, but why are you worried about that? You're hurt!"

She gently touched Marcus' wound. It stung him for a second, but he grinned.

"You dork. I've been through a lot worse than this. You don't need to worry about me."

Coyote was slightly angry at Marcus for calling her a dork, but she realized that he was definitely all right, so she giggled.

"I know…but you can't die on me now. How would I explain to your team that a dead Sharpclaw overlord killed you with a hook?"

They both laughed. In seconds, Coyote was once again entranced by Marcus' soul-piercing gaze and she was given the urge to say something to him, though she had the sickening feeling that he wouldn't react the way she was hoping.

"Besides," she finally said, the urge overcoming her. "You mean a lot to me."

"What?"

"Umm…nothing…but I'd say we're done here, right?"

Right as she said that, a wormhole opened up underneath them and they fell into it, screaming at the top of their lungs.

**One perpetual fall later**

After a continuous five minutes of falling through hyperspace, Marcus and Coyote hit the ground in a heap in front of the Warpstone.

"Alright! You made it!" Damalgo cheered.

"….more or less…ouch…" Coyote groaned.

The two teens stood up and shook the stars out of their eyes before Coyote took the Krazoa Key out of her pocket.

"Well done, both of ye!" the Warpstone beamed. "How's about the two of ye rest here for the night, eh?"

"Yeah." Coyote said. "We…well, let's just say we went through a lot up there"

"That's one nasty scar you got there!" Damalgo remarked, looking at Marcus' wound.

"Ah, it's nothin'." Marcus replied. "I'll go get some food."

He was about to run out of the grove when Coyote spoke up.

"Mark?'

He turned.

"Yeah?"

Coyote pinched her nose and scowled.

"Take a bath! You smell awful!"

She walked off. Marcus made sure she was out of earshot, then he smelled his armpit. It smelled like a rotten onion.

"This is one of those times where being a furry really sucks: we can smell B.O. from a mile away."

_I figured I may as well give some more insight on the Darkstalkers fanfic I mentioned a few updates ago since I've begun working on it. For this update, I'll say what characters are in it._

_The main protagonist Darkstalkers characters are Morrigan, Felicia, Lilith, Jon Talbain, Lord Raptor, and Hsien-ko. Demitri and Jedah are in the story as antagonists._

_The two original characters are named Adam Kratos and Eric Matri. They both come from the same village and both have relationships with a Darkstalker. Guess which one it is._

_Main characters from other universes are Ryu and Chun-Li from Street Fighter, a variation of Mega Man, and Chibiterasu from Okamiden._

_Want more info? Tune in next week, same Starfox-time, same Starfox-channel!...yeah...that's how I'm closing it out...Why are you still here?_


	19. A Moment of Sensuality

_For those of you who have been following the whole story of Marcus and Coyote and screaming to yourself "God damn it, why haven't they kissed yet?"...well, here ya go._

CHAPTER NINETEEN

**A Moment of Sensuality**

**Thorntail Hollow**

**Later that night…**

Coyote raised her head out of the cool, blue water and inhaled. She was swimming in the pool where the waterfall was coming down. She turned on her back and let herself drift on the water. She loved water, and she loved to swim, especially when she was alone. She was wearing black leather shorts and a black bikini top…a bit revealing, but it didn't matter, since she was all alone, in complete solitude.

At least, that's what she thought.

Right as she stood up and began walking in the shallow part that went up to her ribs, Marcus was walking toward the pool, pulling off his T-shirt and humming "Carry On Wayward Son." Both were completely unaware of each other's presence. Marcus threw his shoes and socks off and stood in his jeans and his black muscle shirt. Then, he sprinted toward the edge and whooped as he leaped off and cannon-balled into the deep part of the water. Coyote shrieked when she heard Marcus laughing, and whirled around when she heard him hit the water.

Marcus poked his head out of the water and inhaled.

"What are you doing?" Coyote shouted.

Marcus yelped and turned toward her voice.

"Oh, Coyote! I'm doing what you said: I'm takin' a bath."

"I see that, but does it REALLY need to be where I'm swimming?"

"Jeez, I dunno. You tell me. You're the smart one."

Coyote rolled her eyes.

"What a pinhead."

She breast-stroked away from Marcus. He frowned.

"Fine, be that way."

He took a deep breath and dove into the water, kicking his way to the bottom. When he reached it, he stopped and looked around. The water was crystal-clear. It was darkened by the night sky, but several luminescent fungi growing around the pool lit up the water with an eerie glow that somehow seemed attractive. Marcus liked water, too, just as long as it didn't nearly kill him like it did on Zoness.

Marcus turned over on his back and let himself float up toward the surface. When his head poked out of the water, he inhaled and laughed.

"It's gorgeous!" he called, looking over at Coyote.

She was sitting just behind the waterfall. It was a little hard to tell from the large wall of water crashing down in front of her, but from the way Marcus saw it, she was looking at him with bedroom eyes, complete with a salacious smile. The urge to go near her suddenly became irresistible. Falling prey to her stare, he swam over to her. She was sitting on a submerged ledge just behind the waterfall. She motioned for him to sit next to her. He did. As soon as he sat, he felt a wave of nervousness rush over him. They were both sopping wet, but that didn't stop Coyote from carefully edging herself a little bit closer to Marcus…enough to turn her head and kiss him if she wanted to. The strange light from the luminescent fungi colored the waterfall a crystalline blue hue.

"How is it?" Coyote asked. "Your scar?"

"I'm fine." Marcus replied. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna bleed out if that's what you're thinking."

"Okay. Just checking."

She gazed at the waterfall.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Not the most gorgeous thing I've seen, but sure."

Coyote gave Marcus a weird look.

"What do you mean?"

"Just, you know. I've seen better."

"Like what?"

Marcus quickly struggled to think of something…something that didn't sound completely goofy. The only thing he came up with was…

"The moon."

"…oh….okay…"

Coyote felt disappointed. She was hoping he would say that SHE was more beautiful than the waterfall. After all, she was a living, breathing girl. He was a living, breathing boy. Boys and girls seemed naturally drawn to each other, so why wasn't HE drawn to HER? Maybe he was just being polite…what a gentleman, then.

There she went again, hoping that a knight in shining armor would come sweep her off her feet and carry her away to a mystical land that she always dreamed about. Lethe, the Forgotten Land, as she called it. It was there in her dreams, and there when she explored her home planet. She loved it there…if only it was real.

"Are you okay?" Marcus asked without looking at her. "You're feeling a little light-hearted."

She snapped to attention.

"How in the hell did you know that?" she asked in a bewildered tone.

He grinned and tapped his head.

"My mind is my greatest weapon, and your thoughts betray your image."

She sighed.

"I was just…wondering…do you have a girlfriend?"

As soon as she said that, she gasped and covered her mouth.

"Oh, sweet mercy, why did I say that?" she angrily thought to herself.

Marcus, meanwhile, was a little shocked that Coyote would ask him something like that, but was not otherwise offended.

"Well THAT came outta nowhere. No, I don't."

"Oh…okay. Sorry I asked."

Her inner self breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now he won't feel awkward if I make a move on him!" she thought.

"Why do you ask?" Marcus asked curiously.

Coyote sighed again. She had already spoiled the moment for herself, so there was no sense in trying to go any further. She'd just be making things worse.

"Never mind. I'm done. See ya."

Marcus felt the need to protest, but all that came out was "...ok."

Coyote climbed out of the pool, her fur dripping with water and her heart filled with disappointment, and walked away.

"What was that all about?" Marcus asked himself when she was out of earshot.

He thrust the thought out of his mind as he got drowsy. He slowly closed his eyes. But as his consciousness faded away and his spirit slipped into the dream world, he wished he hadn't.

**Dreaming...**

Marcus was tied to what looked an awful lot like a sacrificial post. There were raging flames off in the distance, and the sky was as black as coal.

"Wha…where am I?" he said out loud, his voice echoing out over the horizon.

Suddenly, out of the darkness, Marcus heard Kursed's ominous voice yet again.

"Inside your so-called greatest weapon: your mind." she said. "Where nothing is impossible, and where everything is not what it seems."

That horrible voice…it was after him again! But where? Where was it coming from? Marcus' eyes darted around the horrifying landscape. Not above him. Not beside. Not in front. Not behind.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he screamed into the blackness. "I don't even know what you are!"

"If I told you, you'd never believe me." Kursed replied, chuckling slightly.

"Wha…what the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you some kind of demon? And how did Scales know about…"

"About your unbelievable strength? Because you got it from me. My blood is coursing through your veins, and if you ignore that fact, you'll just be lying to yourself."

"I don't need your lecture to know that I'm better off without you, so why don't you just leave me alone?"

"You have no idea who you're talking to, Marcus. How would you like it if I brought every single one of your pathetic friends to this place and set them ablaze? I'm perfectly capable of doing that!"

When Kursed finished that last word, Marcus heard screaming off in the distance. He looked out at the burning horizon. Fox, Anna, Chase, Falco, Katt, Lucy, Bill, Slippy, Amanda and even Damalgo. They were on fire! They were being burned to the bone!

"You monster! Y-you wouldn't dare!" he yelled.

"Oops. I missed one." Kursed chuckled.

A new voice. Coyote's voice screaming! All around him!

"Marcus! Help us!" she screamed.

Marcus growled. Kursed wasn't torturing with him anymore. Now she was toying with his mind!

"YOU SICKMINDED BITCH! When I find you, I'll swear I'll…"

"You'll what? Cry to Krystal? You see her anywhere? News flash: you're all alone."

Lightning cracked across the sky. Marcus could see Kursed's massive shadow looming in the sky. But where was she? Not above, not beside, not in front, not behind…wait…BELOW! She was underneath him!

"I'm getting hungry." Kursed said. "Be a good little boy and don't resist."

Kursed's gigantic hand shot up from underneath the hazy floor. It was big enough to grab a person and crush them in its massive grip.

"No!" Marcus screamed.

The hand seized him.

"Nighty-night, sweetie." she cackled.

**Awakening...**

Before the nightmare had a chance to get worse, Marcus yelped in fright and shot his eyes open. He was still sitting behind the waterfall in the Warpstone's Grove. He took in a few breathes to make sure that he was still alive, then he sighed out of relief.

"God, that was the worst one yet." he grumbled. "Why won't she just leave me alone?"

He climbed out of the water and stared down into the water.

"What is she?" Marcus asked himself.

"My blood is coursing through your veins." the hideous voice echoed.

Suddenly, as he continued to stare at his reflection in the water, it was replaced with Kursed's snarling visage. Marcus gritted his teeth, grabbed his staff, yelled and jabbed at the reflection. It vanished. He breathed. He calmed down…for all of three seconds when suddenly….

'AWOOooOOooOOOO!"

Marcus flinched and darted his eyes around. The sudden sound had scared him half to death. He looked to his right. Damalgo was laying a little ways away from him, sleeping like a log. Just then, the noise came again.

"AWOOooOOooOOOO!"

Marcus looked up. Coyote was kneeling on a plateau covered in a few more of the luminescent fungi. It lit her up with a wondrous and seductive glow…just as she looked up at the night sky and opened her mouth, exposing her sharp, pearly-white teeth.

"AWOOooOOooOOOO!"

It was a haunting, yet calm and lovely tone. Marcus had to admit that she had a crystal-clear voice, but whatever the case, the howling had hypnotized him. He had to get closer to the source of that beautiful noise. He walked underneath the cliff and grabbed a few vines dangling from the top. He pulled himself up in just under a few minutes, all the way becoming more and more drawn to the teenage maiden releasing that lovely howling. He carefully came up behind her. Thanks to the eerie blue light, he noticed something on both of her shoulders: tattoos. On the right shoulder, there was a guitar wrapped in a metal chain that was on fire. But on the other one, there was a strange symbol that looked like a combination of a pair of fangs, an evil eye and a radioactive symbol. It was extremely shocking, and a little disturbing.

"Hey." he said in the gentlest voice he could.

Coyote looked back at him and smiled.

"Hey." she replied

"You've got strong lungs."

"Oh…you heard that?"

"I think everyone did."

"Sorry…did I wake you up?"

"Nah, I was awake to begin with. Besides, it sounds great, so it doesn't matter to me."

Coyote blushed. Marcus sat next to her.

"I do that whenever I feel lonely. I've just…never been this far from home before."

"Well, you've got me talk to."

"Yeah…I guess so."

Marcus took a look at the tattoo on her right shoulder. Coyote looked at him and grinned salaciously.

"You know, it's not polite to stare." she said, chuckling.

"Sorry. So what's up with that tat?"

"I got that a few months ago. I absolutely LOVE heavy metal. I listen to it all the time!"

"So you called your ship the '_Iron Maiden_' because…"

"Yeah."

But the other tattoo stuck in Marcus' brain like a grape to a vine, so he decided to go ahead and pluck it.

"What about that one?" he asked, glancing at it.

"Oh, that?" Coyote asked. "I got that when I was fourteen. It's Kursed's emblem."

Marcus' heart stopped. It was WHAT?

"Why do you have that?" he asked.

"I dunno. I guess being a bounty hunter is pretty cool."

Marcus' face fell. She thought Kursed was cool?

"She disappeared about eighteen years ago without warning and no one's seen her since." Coyote continued. "I really wish she'd stuck around. I guess I just really wanted to meet her."

"…no, you don't." Marcus mumbled.

"Huh?"

"If she had stuck around…I wouldn't exist."

"What are you talking about? She saved you?"

"God no! She wouldn't save me if her life depended on it!"

"But does that mean…"

Marcus nodded.

"Wait, I thought you said Krystal was your mother." Coyote asked.

"Don't you get it? Krystal IS Kursed!"

Coyote was shocked.

"Are you serious?"

"I…had a dream about her."

"…tell me."

Marcus explained, in full detail, about what REALLY happened to Kursed…about how Krystal had come home to Corneria…how she had torn Kursed out of her body and threw her away…and how Kursed was now preying on him. With each word, Coyote slowly got more and more interested and shocked. When Marcus finished, Coyote looked at the tattoo on her left shoulder and scowled.

"Well in that case, as soon as I get home, I'm getting rid of this thing."

"You don't have to feel sorry for yourself for having her as your idol. You didn't know."

"Yes, there's that, but I don't want you to think of me as a follower to a monster like that. I'm not that kind of girl."

"But you work with Star Wolf! What about Panther, Leon and Oikonny?"

Coyote smirked and rolled her eyes.

"You kiddin'? I hate all three of them!"

Here they both laughed.

"No, seriously!" Coyote chuckled. "Panther's always whining about how the way I run things spoils his image. Leon's always laughing like a total freak. And Oikonny…I just don't trust him, but then again, I don't think anyone does."

Marcus smiled.

"Thanks, Coyote. You really perked me up."

Coyote edged a little closer to Marcus and gently brushed her tail against his thigh. His skin tingled slightly. He'd never experienced this before, but he knew that the Tail Touch was a sign of affection amongst wolfs and foxes.

"So is my howling really the only reason that you came to talk to me?" she asked with a warm grin.

"…yes…it hypnotized me. I'm not kidding when I say that your howling is the most beautiful noise I've ever heard."

Coyote blushed bright red. For a second, Marcus thought she was going to slap him for saying something so corny to her, but in a few seconds her grin returned and she giggled.

"Thanks" she said. "You know…you've got a pretty hypnotizing feature about you, too."

"I…I do?" Marcus asked.

Coyote leaned closer in and peered into his eyes.

"It's your eyes…I've never seen anything like them. Every time I look at you, I get so entranced by them…it's like you're staring into my soul."

Marcus was speechless for about five seconds, but then he smiled.

"Who knows? I probably am. And if I am, I certainly don't see anything dark and brooding, so what's there to hide?"

He slowly looked up at the night sky.

"Oh, wow! Look at that!" he exclaimed, pointing up.

From where they could see it, the sky was full of billions of stars that couldn't be seen from Corneria because of the street lights and the like, but now they could see the Alpha Nebulae (Sectors X, Y and Z) lighting up the sky.

"You'd never see anything like this on Corneria." Marcus said,

Coyote looked over at the two silver moons high above, and suddenly had a mysterious urge. Maybe it was just instinct, or maybe she wanted to entrance Marcus with her beautiful howl again.

"If you think that I have a nice howl, why don't you howl with me?" she asked.

"…uhh, I'm not a wolf. I can't."

"Foxes don't do it because foxes never try. Here, I'll go first."

She reared back her head, took a deep breath, and let out her lovely howl again.

"AWOOooOOooOOOO!"

Marcus rolled his eyes, cleared his throat, took in a deep breath and let loose with whatever he had.

"HOOooAAaaAA!"

His howl was deeper and more haunting than Coyote's, but it had a great rhythm to it and was as clear as day.

"That was great!" Coyote said encouragingly. "Now let's both do it together."

They both breathed in and let loose.

"AWOOooOOooOOOO!"

"HOOooAAaaAA!"

Marcus breathed.

"Jeez, that was awesome!"

"See what happens if a fox tries?" Coyote asked.

Marcus was speechless. She had shown him what she liked in less than an hour, AND told him that he had amazing eyes. So now, he only had one thing to say.

"OK, I'll bite." he began. "This has been THE most romantic moment of my entire life."

Coyote could feel a joyful tear forming in her eye.

"…mine, too."

With that, a strange sense overcame both of them. Not lust, but something even more powerful. They had both become irresistible to each other. Marcus' arms went around Coyote's shoulders, and her hands came up to his cheeks. They began leaning in towards each other and slowly closed their eyes. As Marcus came closer to Coyote, he could smell the scent of something on her breath. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't care. It just drove him to go even closer.

Finally, after building up what seemed like an hour's worth of suspense…

…their lips touched and locked.

Somehow, Marcus felt like he was breaking a law by kissing this girl. Maybe it was because she was an O'Donnell, and he was a McCloud. Their fathers hated each other, so they were supposed to hate each other as well. But they didn't. It was like how wolves on Earth functioned, with the two classes of Alpha and Omega. Alphas caught all the food for the pack and always got to eat first. Omegas were excluded from almost everything, and were forced to eat last. One big rule was that Omegas and Alphas were absolutely forbidden from socializing romantically. The hard thing was figuring out who was the Alpha and who was the Omega between Marcus and Coyote. He was pretty sure that he was the Alpha because everyone on Corneria liked him, but he didn't feel comfortable with it. It gave him the feeling that he overpowered Coyote in all the wrong ways.

But there was one thing that he DID know…

…he was completely and madly in love with a fugitive.

_Happy now?_


	20. The Test of the Beast

CHAPTER TWENTY

**The Test of the Beast**

**December 5****th****, 2053**

**Gamewell Maze, Thorntail Hollow**

"OK, am I being excluded from something here, because you two were NOTHING like that yesterday!" Damalgo asked impatiently.

When the three had woken up early the next morning, the Warpstone had informed that the entrance to the Krazoa Shrine where the Krazoa Master dwelled was deep inside the Gamewell Maze (which he had been conveniently placed over). What Damalgo was talking about was that, as they proceeded down the dank, dusty tunnel, Marcus and Coyote were standing no more than an inch from each other and blushed bright red each time they looked at each other. Damalgo was one who didn't like to be excluded from what was going on, so when he was, it ticked him off.

"That's our business, OK?" Coyote replied. "You stay out of it!"

"It would be easier if you weren't chumming it up DIRECTLY next to me!" Damalgo shot back

"Hey, don't start, you two!" Marcus spoke up. "I have a hard enough time keeping Chase and Anne from fighting."

The three slid down a rotting wooden ladder that led into the maze. When they touched the ground, they saw three paths branching out into the maze.

Marcus handed Coyote and Damalgo each a flare gun.

"It looks like we're gonna have to split up, so take these with you." he instructed. "If you see anything suspicious, send up a flare. If you see a flare, go towards it."

"Got it." Coyote replied.

"Right." Damalgo answered.

Coyote took the path on the right, Damalgo the one on the left and Marcus the one in front. But right as he rounded the corner, Marcus immediately wished that he hadn't ordered the other two to split up. Almost as soon as he reached the end of the path, he found three more paths.

He went left. Dead end. He ran back and went right. Another dead end. He went back, ran down to the other end and turned right. Dead end? You guessed it. No matter how much he tried to deny it, Marcus had only been in the maze for two minutes, and he was already hopelessly lost.

Damalgo wasn't having much luck, either. No matter how many corners he turned, it just seemed like he was running around aimlessly in circles. He took a left, then a right, then another right, then left again, right, right, left, left, right, left, right….

He stopped and doubled over panting. Where the hell was he going?

"Heck, I don't even know how to work this thing." he grumbled angrily, turning the flare gun over in his hands and inspecting it. "What the heck is a gun?"

Coyote panted heavily as she rounded the umpteenth corner, hoping to find at least something OTHER than a dead end.

She did: another three paths.

She quickly grew frustrated and kicked the stone wall. Bad idea, because about two seconds later she was hopping up and down on one foot clutching her other one and grumbling through clenched teeth.

"Who could possibly have been stupid enough to make this?" Coyote thought. "Man, when I volunteered to help Mark, I wasn't planning on running through a damn labyrinth!"

Suddenly, her ears pricked up when she heard a low humming noise. She turned her head and saw an odd light around the corner. She didn't know what came over her, but she quietly tiptoed toward it. As she peeked around the corner, she saw that the light was coming from a large well. It was perfectly circular, and it didn't look like it was man-made…not from the way it was molded from the ground.

She walked over to the well and carefully looked down. Though there were a few small glowing objects floating up from the well that looked similar to fireflies, Coyote could see nothing but darkness. Black, empty darkness. She couldn't even see the bottom.

Just then, as though someone were standing right next to her, she heard a quiet voice whisper in her ear.

"She does not look like you, she does not speak like you, and she does not think like you, but do you think she may still be closer to you than you realize?"

"Closer to me…Wha…who are you? What are you talking about?" Coyote asked aloud.

The voice repeated itself, then faded away.

"Hey! I'm talkin' to you!" Coyote exclaimed. "Answer me!"

Too late. The voice was gone.

"What was that thing talking about...Who's 'she'?" Coyote asked herself.

Marcus had had enough. He fell flat on his back. He had absolutely no idea where he was going. He'd been running around like this for about ten minutes and he hadn't found diddly-squat!

He closed his eyes. He didn't want to fall asleep, but he was so fed up that he had tuckered himself out. Even worse was that he wasn't getting a signal on his communicator through the cave walls, so he couldn't call any for help. If Anna had been there, she would've found the entrance to the shrine by now. It was almost as though she had internal radar. She never got lost.

Suddenly, Marcus heard a voice whispering to him. It was his mother's voice.

"Let your senses guide you, Marcus." Krystal said. "You'll find what you're looking for."

Marcus opened his eyes and stood up.

"Well, Mom, you haven't steered me wrong yet." he thought.

Marcus touched his index fingers to his temples and concentrated as hard as he possibly could. After remaining absolutely still for a few moments, a paranormal blue line appeared in front of him, directing itself down one of the paths.

Marcus grinned.

"The solution presents itself." he said smugly.

Marcus followed the path left, then right, left, left, right, left, right left and right again. The path stopped. Marcus now stood in front of a regal looking door. A Krazoa head was imprinted into the center. Three holes were carved in a triangle formation.

Marcus looked down at the blue path again. It stopped right in front of the door. This was it. He whipped out his flare gun, aimed it up in the air, and pulled the trigger. A flare went shooting up about fifty feet, and then detonated. Within minutes, Damalgo and Coyote had rounded the corner and stopped in front of Marcus.

Damalgo took a few seconds to inspect the door.

"You never see anything like this on the surface…even in the Hollow."

Coyote took notice a small stone slab placed just above the door. As she looked closer, she could make out a few Saurian letters.

"What does this say?" she asked.

Damalgo looked at it. Slowly, he translated it.

"When stones and souls approach the door, the mighty seal will be no more."

"Which means?" Marcus asked.

"'Stones' are the Keys, obviously. 'Souls' are people…I got it! See those holes? We each need to put one Key into the holes to open the door."

"Makes enough sense, I suppose."

Marcus dug the three Keys out of his backpack, then handed one to Coyote and one to Damalgo. Carefully, Marcus placed the Key into one of the slots. Coyote and Damalgo did the same with theirs. They stepped back.

The door flashed bright blue for a few seconds, then slowly but surely slid out of sight. Behind it was a glowing pad.

"That's the entrance to the shrine." Damalgo said, pointing at the pad. "As soon as we step on that, we'll be warped inside."

"We? As in 'all three of us' we?" Marcus asked.

Damalgo grinned.

'Why? Am I growin' on ya?"

Coyote smirked.

"You ARE a little contagious."

Damalgo rolled his eyes.

"I appreciate your humor, and yeah, I can go with you this time."

"Then let's go!" Marcus said.

The three stepped onto the pedestal and closed their eyes. In the blink of an eye, a bright beam of light enveloped them and warped them away.

**Within moments...**

The light faded. The three were now standing in a tall chamber lined with columns. A ladder in front of them led up into another. Falling drop of water quietly echoed inside the room.

"Are you sure this isn't Krazoa Palace?" asked Coyote, looking around the room. "It looks pretty familiar."

"The Krazoa always make their buildings like this." Damalgo replied. "My tribe's been studying them for centuries."

Marcus stepped toward the ladder and knocked on it. It echoed with a hollow metal noise.

"I'll go first." he said. "Who knows how old this thing is?"

He slowly started climbing up the ladder. It creaked with every step he took, but it was still able to hold his weight. When he reached the top, he looked down and beckoned for Coyote and Damalgo to follow him. They did, carefully making sure it wouldn't collapse under their weight.

The room that they had climbed into seemed like a straight walk across to the other side. Despite the fact that the tiles were stamped with very odd symbols, the room didn't look dangerous.

Apparently, Coyote thought so, too.

"Piece of cake!" she said.

She was about to step forward when Marcus stuck out his arm and blocked.

"Hey, what gives?" she asked.

"…it's too simple." Marcus replied.

He knelt down and looked carefully at the tiles. The one that Coyote nearly stepped on had a strange spiral shape on it. Marcus pulled out his staff and poked the tile with it. It gave way into a straight drop to oblivion.

"….you go first." Coyote said, with her eyes wide.

Marcus glared at her.

"What happened to 'Move your ass, buster'?" he grumbled.

He looked at the tile next to the spiral one. This one had a Krazoa head printed on it. He poked it with his staff. Nothing happened.

"Alright, guys." he said, standing up straight. "Follow me. Step where I step."

The one Krazoa tile was the first in a pattern on twenty others that formed a zigzagging pattern throughout the room. Watching their step as they went, the three slowly edged themselves along the path.

When they were just an inch from the other side of the room, Coyote slipped and nearly fell on the spiral tiles when Marcus caught her in mid-air.

He carefully stood her back up.

"See?" he said with a grin on his face. "I can be useful, can't I?"

Coyote lightly smiled.

"…thanks."

The next room had three large blocks in a triangle formation. The door to the third room was sealed by a rusted, iron gate. Damalgo took a good look at the sizes of each block and at the switches near them, then at the gate.

"Judging from the size of the blocks, I'd say that they're heavy enough to weigh down those switches. And assuming we all have equal strength…"

He snapped his fingers.

"I got it." he said. "We need to place all three blocks on the switches simultaneously to open the door."

Marcus grinned and crossed his arms.

"You sounded just like Chase right about then." he said.

"Who?" Damalgo asked.

"Never mind."

"Alright, guys. One person to each block! Let's go!"

They each stood behind a block and placed their hands on it.

"One…two…THREE!" Damalgo shouted.

Straining slightly, they pushed the blocks in the direction of each switch. At exactly the same time, the three blocks hit the appropriate switches. Slowly, yet surely, the gate slid up and out of sight. The third room had criss-crossing lasers coming from almost every angle. They all loudly hummed.

"Ooookaaaayyyy….." Damalgo said. "I knew the Krazoa were advanced, but not THAT advanced."

Marcus picked up a loose rock lying on the ground and chucked it right at one of the lasers. When the rock made contact, the laser sliced it in half!

"High-frequency beams. One touch equals instant bifurcation." he said.

"English, please?" Coyote said.

"Whatever part of you DOES touch them gets sliced off."

Coyote grinned and cracked her knuckles.

"Allow me." she said.

With a running start, she dove between two lasers, then back-flipped over another, cart-wheeled between two more and quickly rolled underneath another. The two boys watched in awe.

"Where did you get this chick?" Damalgo asked with his mouth agape.

Marcus shrugged.

"She shows up when you least expect it."

"Honestly, what did you two do to each other last night?"

"Nothin' you can prove."

A few handstands and a front-flip later, Coyote was on the other side of the room. She looked back at the boys and smirked.

"When it comes to stuff like this, I'm a freakin' ninja." she said, crossing her arms.

"Uh, yeah…do we have to do it EXACTLY like that?" Marcus asked.

Coyote rolled her eyes.

"Nope. You don't have to do it at all!"

She grabbed the lever sticking out of the wall and pulled it down. The lasers disappeared. The boys ran to where she stood.

Marcus took in a deep breath and said, "Good job."

Coyote responded with a cat-like smile and "Thank you."

The three turned and walked inside the final room: a tall chamber with mighty silver columns lining the sides and an off, wavering mirror-like object on the back wall. The room was dimly lit by a pair of large torches that were burning with blue flames. They cautiously tiptoed inside the room. As soon as they were five feet inside, a stone barricade slid down and blocked the way out.

No going back.

The mirror flashed a brilliant violet color. Some of the strange, wavering matter on the mirror slowly oozed down to the floor, before taking the shape of a very tall creature in front of Marcus, Coyote and Damalgo.

The being was at least thirty feet tall. It wore a robe that covered its limbs, hands and feet, though both the robe and its wearer were near transparent. On its head, it wore a mask that resembled the Krazoa head drawings that they had seen before. Its bright, white eyes gazed down at them with a welcoming glance.

"So that's the Krazoa Master?" Coyote whispered to Damalgo.

"Must be."

Without warning, the Master spoke.

"Marcus James McCloud. Come hither." it said in a male voice that sounded like many men with British accents all speaking at once.

Marcus' eyes widened. How did this thing know his name?

But still, Marcus stepped forward and stood before the mighty being.

"You have done very well to come as far as you have." the Master said. "If you were able to seek out the three ancient Keys, it can only be because you wish for my knowledge, am I correct?"

Marcus hesitated, but then nodded.

"Yes. Our galaxy is suffering from sieges from the Venomian army, and we need to find out who is behind the attacks. I humbly ask that you provide me with the answer."

"A very just cause, indeed." the master replied. "Alas, I can not bestow my knowledge to those who have not proven themselves to be pure of heart."

"How do I do that?"

"A trial. One simple test that you must complete. If you can succeed, I will answer all."

Marcus looked at the door. It was still sealed shut.

He looked back at the Master.

"What must be done in this test?"

"The test requires that you face your deepest fear. Panicking will result in failure and if you accept, you stand alone. Do you wish to accept this trial?"

Marcus wasn't sure about it anymore. Facing his deepest fear? Was that really what he'd have to resort to find out who was behind all of the attacks?

Who was he fooling? Of course it was!

Marcus looked back at Coyote and Damalgo. They both grinned. Damalgo gave him a thumbs-up. Coyote winked at him and mouthed the words, "Go for it." Marcus nodded, then looked back at the Krazoa Master.

"I accept."

"Very well."

The mirror flashed again. An opaque, shadowy barrier appeared between him and the others.

"Close your eyes and clear your mind." the Master said. "Bring up your fear from the depths of your imagination."

Marcus closed his eyes and thought. At first, he thought of Andross…the evil monster that murdered his grandfather. He had obviously never seen Andross before, so that just made it all the more intimidating.

But then, he thought of someone he was even more afraid of…that horrible voice that had haunted him for months now.

"My blood is coursing through your veins."

"Your fear is absolute." the Master announced. "Let us begin."

"Dear God, what have I done?" Marcus muttered to himself.

The Krazoa Master flowed back into the mirror, which flashed again. This flash was enough to force Marcus to shield his eyes. When the light had ceased, Marcus uncovered his face.

"What the f…what the hell is this?" he sputtered.

The room was incredibly distorted. The sky was black and dark purple. The floor was split up into several platforms that were wavering. Far below him, Marcus could see absolutely nothing.

Just then, Marcus felt a rush behind him. He whipped around. Nothing was there.

Then, the voice whispered right in his ear.

"Marcus…my son."

"Oh no…"

Another rush. Marcus whirled around again. Still nothing.

He breathed in through his nose, out through his mouth. In through his nose. Out through his mouth.

"Get a grip, Mark." he said to himself. "Don't panic. Whatever you do, don't panic."

"That's right." Kursed whispered. "Suppress your fear of me. Don't be afraid of your mother."

A black shadow zipped by a few feet away. Marcus heard a low growling noise, but at the same time, it sounded a bit like maniacal laughter.

"It's only my imagination…only my imagination." he muttered to himself.

The black shadow appeared again, this time running behind one of the distorted columns, getting nearer and nearer every second.

"You think that there's anything you can do to drive me away? Come now, you don't want me to leave, do you?" the ominous voice asked, chuckling slightly.

Marcus could feel his forehead beginning to sweat…not just from the fear of his mother's evil doppelganger being just a few steps away from him, hidden in the shadows, but also out of anger that he could do nothing to fight her off. That was besides the fact that she was mocking him.

Suddenly, the black figure jetted out from behind the column and leaped right at him!

He yelped and ducked. The figure landed on its feet and vanished again. He stepped back a few inches and nearly stumbled when he reached the edge of the platform he was stranded on. He looked down. He couldn't tell if falling off would actually cause him to fail the trial (or worse, fall to his doom), but he certainly wasn't going to risk finding out.

The black shadow rushed at him from the depths of the pit, its mouth wide open and with large white fangs out. Marcus back-flipped away from the edge. He looked around the room, scanning every nook and cranny for any sign of movement.

Suddenly, right from behind him, the voice whispered in his ear.

"Wanna play hide and seek?" Kursed asked, with, once again, a voice that sounded like it was combined with maniacal laughter.

Marcus whirled around. Nothing!

He growled.

"Where are you, dammit?" he shouted.

Within a split second, Kursed's face was suddenly right in front of his own.

"Here." she whispered.

Marcus yelped out of surprise and fell on his butt. He scurried away from Kursed, just before she vanished yet again. He heard her laughter echoing throughout the room. He couldn't take it anymore. He stood up, slammed his eyes shut, and tried to think of something other than a cannibalistic woman with a lasting hunger for him.

"Oh, but why are your eyes closed?" Kursed asked. "Are you afraid to look at me?"

Marcus didn't say anything. He stood as still as a statue.

"It's okay, sweetie. You don't need to be afraid. Mommy's here now."

Marcus could feel his tail and arms rapidly fidgeting. He had to take his mind off of Kursed.

"C'mon, Mark! Think! Think of…think of…the first time you flew an Arwing!" he thought aggressively.

Now he could feel Kursed's breath on his fur, almost as though she were standing right next to him. For all he knew, she probably was! He felt something that felt an awful lot like a hand on his cheek. It was like he had fallen into one of his dreams…one of his nightmares. It just goes to show that your imagination is your greatest weapon, but at the same time, it's also your worst enemy.

"Go ahead. Sneak a peek." Kursed whispered. "No one's watching. Look at whom you fear, but who loves you with all her heart."

"I can always tell when someone's lying! I'm not your lunch platter!" Marcus yelled.

"Oh, don't think of it as that. Just think of it as…say…staying with me."

Marcus was silent. All he knew was his hearting beating like a hammer, He felt as though one of his veins would burst any second.

"You can stay here with your mother…forever, if you want. Just you and me. Mommy and Marky. I know you want that. All you have to do…"

Here it sounded as though she were whispering in his ear again.

"…is look." she finished.

Marcus' eyelids started twitching. Just like that, he couldn't bear it anymore. He opened his eyes. For a moment, he saw nothing. Kursed was nowhere to be seen.

Then suddenly, a massive hand seized him and pulled him off the ground! His staff fell out of his backpack and landed on the ground with a loud clatter. The next thing he knew, he was gazing fearfully into Kursed's face. She was standing at a height of at least thirty feet and was lustfully smiling at him.

"Are you frightened?" she asked, slightly giggling.

Marcus didn't see what was so funny, but he answered anyway.

"…yes."

She chuckled, as though the word had tickled her.

"Good, because I'm the only one you should be afraid of."

"I don't know how you exist, and I don't care." Marcus started. ", but what I DO know is that you're a curse on me and my parents!"

"Oh, Marcus…why do you think they call me Kursed?"

Suddenly, Marcus felt her grip getting tighter. She was trying to crush him in her hand! And he was powerless to stop her!

He spotted his staff lying on the ground as he felt his airway getting cut off. He had only one chance. He squirmed to get loose, until finally he got one arm free. He reached out to the staff and yelled at it.

"Staff to me!"

As though it were heading his call, the staff went flying into his hand. Kursed caught sight of it and growled.

"You'd dare to use that against me?" she asked in disbelief.

Marcus didn't answer. Instead, he said…

"You wanna curse somethin'? Curse your ass on the way to hell!"

He stabbed the spear end of the staff into Kursed's hand. She screamed and let go of him. As soon as Marcus hit the ground, he jumped back up about forty feet into the air. Without warning, he let out a large battle cry, and a massive laser beam fired from the firing end of the staff and shot through Kursed's body.

Marcus dove back down to the floor and rolled to his feet, while Kursed's hulking form came crashing down.

She weakly looked up at Marcus.

"Maarrcuuussssssss…" she moaned.

Just like that, her head came down and her breathing stopped. They were now back in the Krazoa Master's chamber.

Coyote and Damalgo came up behind him. Coyote caught a glimpse of Kursed's body lying on the ground.

"…she actually looks like that?" she asked.

"…yeah…well, almost."

"Did you kill her?"

Marcus sighed and shook his head.

"No…that's not her."

Marcus looked at the collapsed form of Kursed. As soon as he saw it take that massive shape, he knew something was up. He also noticed that he hadn't gotten the cold, numb feeling he usually got when she assaulted his mind.

"I'm just so sick of having to deal with her. I mean, do you know how hard it is to live your life when you've gotta worry about some CANNIBALISTIC BITCH!"

As he screamed those last two words, he ran up to Kursed's body and gave it a sharp kick. With that, it slowly faded into nothing. It had been only an illusion. Kursed hadn't actually been there.

What a shame.

"The real Kursed is still out there somewhere." Marcus said angrily. "…still hunting me down like wild game."

"What'll you do?" asked Coyote. "It's not like you can just run away from her forever, right?"

Marcus turned to her.

"Yeah…I guess you're right…maybe I'll just get stronger. The next time she finds me…it ain't gonna be peaches and cream for her anymore."

Another blinding flash shot from the mirror, and the Krazoa Master reappeared.

"Well done. You have proven yourself to be pure of heart. Your goals are just, thus I grant you this."

A glowing, spherical object appeared from the mirror and floated into Marcus' hands. He could see inside it, though all that was there was a group of swirling clouds.

"That is the Krazoa's Orb." the Master explained. "It will answer any and all questions you may have for it. I advise you to use it wisely."

Marcus, Coyote and Damalgo took a few moments to stare at the orb in complete awe. After those moments had passed, Marcus put the orb in his backpack.

"Thank you." Marcus said, giving the Master a short bow.

The Master nodded.

"Then you may go."

A light enveloped the three and carried them up and out of the shrine.

**Within moments...again...**

When the light faded, the three were standing in the Warpstone's grove.

"Marcus, m'boy!" the Warpstone beamed. "Looks like ye passed the Krazoa Master's test, eh?"

"Yep." Marcus replied. "Now we can finally figure out who's behind all these attacks!"

"Phew. I'm just happy we didn't have to go back through that frickin' maze again!" Coyote breathed.

"Wait a minute." Damalgo spoke up. "If you got what you came for…does that mean you guys have to leave now?"

Marcus turned to the young Sharpclaw and nodded.

"Aww." Damalgo whined. "It seems like you just got here!"

Coyote and Marcus both grinned.

"Hey, it's good to make friends in strange places." Coyote said. "You're a nice guy. Besides, we can come visit you anytime."

Damalgo smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Don't try to cheer me up." he said sarcastically. "But I can come with you back to your ships, right?"

"Sure, pal." Marcus said.

"I'll see along down the road, then." the Warpstone called as they left the grove. "Good luck, laddie!"

The three were just about to step out of the Hollow and into the tunnel leading to Moon Mountain Pass when Marcus froze in his tracks.

"Sweet mother! I forgot!" he exclaimed

"Forgot what?"

"Our ships are out of fuel cells! We won't be able to get them off the ground."

"Fuel cells, huh?" Damalgo said. "I think I know someone who could help."


	21. Liar, Liar, Ship on Fire

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

**Liar, Liar, Ship on Fire**

**Thorntail Store**

The three climbed down a rugged wall into a tunnel. After climbing over a ledge about ten feet underground, they rushed through a silk curtain into an evenly carved cavern with several doorways.

"You're positive this guy can help us?" Coyote asked, looking around the room.

"I met him just last week." Damalgo said. "He's got literally anything a guy could look for…thing is, he has a tendency to scam people, so keep your guard up."

"…well, where is he?" asked Marcus

A small flash went through the room. When the light had faded, an odd-looking dinosaur was floating in front of them. His face was that of a Sharpclaw. His scales were light green. He wore a purple and yellow robe with a hood that was drawn up. He had a tail, but no legs.

"Ah, a customer, eh?" he said. "Welcome to my store. Feel free to look at the many wonderful items within these walls."

"Uhh…thanks." Marcus said.

"As long as you have enough money, of course."

Money? He had to PAY for this stuff?

Marcus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wad of blue paper bills. Cornerian dollars.

"You wouldn't happen to take Cornerian dollars, would you?" Marcus asked.

"Cornerian dollars?" the shopkeeper repeated. "Sorry. That stuff's no good out here. I only take scarabs."

Marcus pocketed the money with a quick "Damn it," under his breath.

And just what the hell was a scarab? It sounded like it was some kind of insect!

"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you if you don't have any scarabs." the shopkeeper said. There was a small hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Hang on, guys." Damalgo said, reaching into his vest pocket. "I've got you covered."

He pulled out a couple of gold beetle-like things from his pocket. He handed five to Coyote and five to Marcus.

"Fifty scarabs each." he said.

"Now that's more like it!" said the shopkeeper, perking up. "The room to my right is where you'll find PukPuk Eggs, fuel cells and the like. Behind me is the Rare Goods room, and to my left is where you can buy maps of the planet. And if you like to play games…"

Here he pointed a doorway to the left of the door the three had come through.

"Then enter the Scarab Room….oh, and that's the exit." he finished, pointing at the door behind Marcus.

"Riiiight…" Marcus trailed out.

"If you find something you like, just give me a call, and we'll discuss a price. Is that clear?"

"Uhh, sure?"

"Good. Now hurry and choose something, or get out."

Coyote rolled her eyes.

"How promising."

The three started toward the room on the shopkeeper's right, but Coyote stopped when she heard a humming noise. The same humming noise she heard in the Gamewell Maze.

Sure enough, when she turned her head toward the source, a well very similar to the one she'd seen earlier was right there beside her. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her. She stepped over to the well and looked down.

Her ears pricked up when she heard that quiet, whispering voice again, this time saying something entirely different.

"You may only be following orders, but are you sure it won't destroy the relationship with your newfound love?"

This time, Coyote knew exactly what the voice was talking about. She hung her head in shame. It may have just been orders, but she had to do it. It was for the good of her family's dignity.

Coyote snapped to attention when she heard Marcus calling her.

"Coyote, are you comin'?"

"Yeah, one second." she called back.

She had made up her mind. She was going to do it today, no matter what the consequences were. The room they now stood in was lit up in a dim blue light. Several small objects were lined on low shelves along the walls.

Marcus and Coyote looked around the room until they found what they were looking for: small orbs packed with electrical energy. They had just stepped toward them when the shopkeeper's voice came from behind them.

"So how many of those do you need?"

The teens jumped and turned to him. Marcus took a few moments to catch his breath before he blurted out his answer: "Twenty."

"Ho, ho! Twenty, eh?" the shopkeeper laughed. "Let's see…two times twenty equals…that'll be forty scarabs."

Marcus and Coyote each dug two of the scarabs out of their pockets and handed them to the mystical dinosaur.

"Heh, heh. They're all yours." he laughed.

They each took ten fuel cells and put them in their backpacks.

"Now if that's all you need, then scram!" the shopkeeper said rudely. "I don't like people loitering in here."

Marcus smirked.

"Sorry to have bothered you."

**Returning to familiar territory...**

The three ran up the path on Moon Mountain Pass toward the _Arwing III_ and the _Iron Maiden_ that still lay waiting for them. As soon as they loaded up their ships with the fuel cells, they'd be back at the _Great Fox_ within minutes.

"So…this is it, huh?" Damalgo asked as they neared the space fighters. "You guys have to leave."

"Sorry, Da…hey, do you mind if I call you Al?" Marcus asked. "It would roll of my tongue a little easier."

"Yeah, I don't mind. Heck, I even get tired of saying it from time to time."

"Check. Sorry, Al, but we have to go back home. We're not used to the lifestyle here."

"Ah, don't sweat it. Tell you the truth, it gets rough down here even for me."

Coyote smirked.

"Talk about high expectations."

"Hey, look on the bright side." Marcus said. "You've done us a big favor. If it hadn't have been for you, this mission might have failed. You've done your part to help in the war against the Venomians."

Damalgo nodded, when suddenly a light bulb went on in his head.

"What if I could help out with more than just helping you around this planet?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I've come to a life-changing decision, Mark: I'm goin' with ya!"

Marcus was briefly shocked. It took him a few moments to regain his cool.

"You don't have to stay here?" he asked.

Damalgo shook his head.

"Of course not. There's nothing left for me here. My parents are dead, and you guys are the first real friends I've ever had. If there's anywhere I'm NOT staying, it's here."

"Hmm…I don't know…"

"Please? I can help around that…that starship thing you've got up there! I can build stuff! I can fix stuff! PLEASE!"

Marcus crossed his arms and smirked.

"Hey, relax, man. I'm just messin' with ya. Of course you can come!"

"YES! Oh, man, I LOVE you!"

Marcus raised one eyebrow and half-smiled at him.

"Just promise me you won't screw anything up, alright?"

Damalgo smirked and gave him a military salute.

"Aye-aye, captain." he said.

Coyote, however, felt even more uneasy now than before.

"…I can't let up…I have to do it." she kept telling herself as she dropped the fuels cells into her ship's tank. "…even if he survives…even if it means that he won't like me anymore."

"Hop in and I'll be right with ya." Marcus said to Damalgo, who then hopped into the open cockpit.

Marcus opened his ship's tank and dropped the fuel cells inside. He shut it and then turned on a comm link to the _Great Fox_.

"This is Marcus. Do you read me, team?" he said into his wrist communicator.

Falco's voice crackled.

"Loud and clear, Mark. What's up?"

"Mission accomplished. I'm returning to the _Great Fox_."

"Roger. We'll be waiting."

"Gotcha. Over and out."

Marcus turned off the comm, hopped into his Arwing and ignited the engines. Coyote did the same with her ship. The cockpits closed and the two ships slowly rose off the ground.

"This is so cool!" Damalgo cheered.

"Trust me; it gets better." Marcus replied.

Marcus had turned the ship toward the atmosphere and was about to blast off when…

ZAP! Lasers came flying from behind him and grazed the wings of the ship!

"Oh, crap!" Marcus thought in alert

"What the hell's goin' on?" Damalgo shouted.

"Someone's shooting at us! We're being ambushed."

"…is that what you meant by 'better'?

Marcus changed directions and flew over the mountains, hoping that he could shake whoever was attacking them. The lasers kept coming. Marcus looked behind him to catch a glimpse of his attacker, and when he saw who is was, his mouth dropped open.

It was Coyote!

"Coyote, what do you think you're doing?" he shouted.

"…I'm just…following orders."

Then it hit him. Coyote had been double-crossing him from the start! It was just a clever scheme to finish him off!

"Chase was right." he muttered. "I never should have trusted her."

"My father….no, my whole family has been living in your father's shadow for too long." Coyote said. "Today, I'm gonna prove once and for all that I'm better than you."

"And you have to kill me to do it? How can you say that with a straight face?"

"I'm sorry, Mark. I really am."

With those last words, the _Iron Maiden_ came barreling at the Arwing at full speed. Marcus quickly looped over Coyote and was about to press the fire button on his ship when he started having another mental battle.

"What am I doing? She doesn't deserve this. She's just a girl after all...but I thought she cared about me."

He shook the thought out his head and glared at the _Iron Maiden_.

"Screw her. She's gone too far this time."

Marcus pressed his thumb down on the fire button and shot rapidly at Coyote, who somersaulted and got back behind him.

"Mark…please don't make this harder than it needs to be." she said meekly.

Coyote's thoughts were racing, too. She had already commenced her ambush. There was no way to take it back now. Her father and dignity said yes, but her heart said no. This was the boy who had shown her such affection last night…and now she was trying to kill him.

She shook the thought out of her head and bit her lip as she slammed a red button above her head, sending a homing missile shooting at the _Arwing III_. A light inside the Arwing started blinking rapidly.

"What's going on?" Damalgo shouted.

"She's got a lock on us...Al! You still got that flare gun?"

"Yeah, but why?"

"I'm gonna open the cockpit, and I want you to shoot a flare at the missile."

Marcus opened the cockpit. Damalgo leaned back slightly, carefully aimed at the missile and fired the flare. The flare smashed into the missile and detonated it, but suddenly Coyote fired at the Arwing with her laser cannons. The lasers rocked the Arwing with unbelievable momentum and sent Damalgo flipping out of the ship.

"AL!" Marcus screamed.

Marcus shot his arm out and grabbed Damalgo's foot, pulled him back in, shut the cockpit and swerved away before Coyote could fire again.

"Oh, God, I think I'm gonna puke!" Damalgo said when he was back inside the ship.

"I don't wanna do this, Mark." Coyote said sadly. "I'm not a bad person…I just don't have a choice."

"What do you mean you don't have a choice?" Marcus hollered back. "If you don't wanna do it, then DON'T!"

Marcus swerved away as Coyote fired again, and then did another loop. As soon as he was right over the _Iron Maiden_, Marcus ejected himself from his ship. He unsheathed his staff as he landed on the _Iron Maiden_'s windshield.

"Don't mess with me, Mark." Coyote said.

The _Iron Maiden_ barrel-rolled. Marcus lost his balance and slipped backward towards the ship's rocket thrusters. He seized one of the wings and held on for dear life, his tail dangerously close to touching the sizzling, hot flames.

Summoning all his strength, he pulled himself up.

"It ain't over 'til I say it's over." he growled.

Slowly, Marcus walked forward and climbed back onto the windshield. When Coyote saw that he hadn't fallen off her ship, she was shocked.

"No…I can't be beaten…" she stammered. "Not now!"

"Your whole family is so stubborn." Marcus shot back.

Marcus aimed his staff at the ship.

"Too bad it always costs you!"

Marcus leaped, shouted and fired the staff's massively powerful laser (which he dubbed the Hyper Beam). The _Iron Maiden_ self-destructed as Marcus landed safely inside his Arwing. The wrecked _Iron Maiden_ went plummeting to the ground in a fiery mess. A few moments after it hit the ground, the escape pod came floating up, with Coyote safely inside.

"Mark…" she stammered meekly. "…I...I can explain."

"What is there to explain?" Marcus shouted back. "Bottom line is you double-crossed me! This whole time you were just trying to get me in a vulnerable spot!"

"If you'd just listen…"

"No, YOU listen! For the past three days I've been busting my ass to keep you safe down there, and what do I get? A big show of ungratefulness! …everything we talked about last night…and that kiss…"

"Oh, so THAT'S what you two did." Damalgo said.

"Shut up." Marcus growled at him.

He turned back to Coyote.

"…everything you and I did for each other…it was all lies, wasn't it?"

"N-No! They weren't lies!" Coyote said. "I...I really meant all of those things!"

"The hell you did! You were just using me to get to my dad! Just ask yourself: what if you were me, and I did it to you? I'm alive! I can feel emotions, and I can feel heartbroken when I'm toyed with! …Chase was right…I should have detained you when I had the chance."

Marcus was yelling so harshly that he was on the verge of tears. Coyote herself had never been more hurt in her whole life.

"Mark…I…"

"Don't bother. That girl that showed herself last night…she doesn't exist…she never WILL exist! She never was and never will be! So long, traitor. I hope I never see you again!"

With that, Marcus angrily floored the boost pedal and shot up into the atmosphere, leaving the heartbroken Coyote to sit there and feel sorry for herself.

"Whoa…that was kinda harsh." Damalgo said from the back seat."

"Good riddance…you know what? Love sucks!"

"Bet your parents would disagree."

"Heh. Don't remind me. I'm the one always defending their relationship, anyway."

**Homecoming...**

The Arwing was in space in two minutes and slowed to a stop as it landed in the _Great Fox_'s hangar bay.

The door to the bridge opened. Marcus and Damalgo stepped inside the room. Anna, Falco and Katt ran over to Marcus.

"Phew! You made it!" Anna breathed.

"Alright! That's our leader!" Katt cheered.

"Great job, buddy!" Falco grinned.

"Whoa, wait a sec." Anna said, looking at Damalgo. "Who the heck is this guy?"

"This is Damalgo." Marcus answered. "He helped me out down on the planet. He really knows it well."

"OK, but…why is he here?"

"Please keep your shirt on when I say this, but he wants to join the team."

The three nearly stumbled.

"Are you showing your sarcastic side again or am I going deaf?" Katt asked.

"Did you just say that he wanted to join our team?" Falco asked.

"That's what I said, so yes."

"Why? Is there a problem?" asked Damalgo.

Marcus was actually somewhat flabbergasted when Damalgo spoke. Marcus had gotten rid of the earpiece Coyote had given him, so if it was gone, then Damalgo was speaking perfect English!

"Before you ask, I've listened to you enough to teach myself your language." Damalgo said to Marcus. "But, seriously, is there a problem?"

"Well…no…" Anna said. "But are you reliable? I mean, you're a Sharpclaw, after all. "

Damalgo crossed his arms.

"What part of 'helped out', 'down on' and 'planet' did you not understand?"

Falco rolled his eyes.

"Oh, great! A Sharpclaw with attitude!"

"Look, buddy: just 'cause I'm a dinosaur doesn't mean I'm stupid. I know sarcasm when I hear it."

"Then I guess that settles…hey, what's Chase's beef?" Marcus said.

He had just noticed that Chase was sitting away from the others, his arms crossed and his hat on the metal desk in front of him. Marcus knew Chase well enough to know that he only took off his fedora when he was really angry…or when he went to bed. Marcus walked over to him and saw that he was frowning.

"Hey, what's eating you?" Marcus asked.

Chase looked at him and mumbled angrily.

"Uhh, what?" Marcus asked in a confused tone.

"I said 'Welcome back, boyfriend.'"

"What are you talking abo…this isn't about Coyote, is it? I really don't wanna hear anything about her."

"Great. There you go defending the evil stepchild again."

"Defending the evil…hey, just listen to me for a sec."

Chase stood up.

"You're defending that wench and you're completely shoving me aside. I can't stand it when something is taken from me. You think that having to deal with that is easy?"

Marcus tried to say something, but Chase cut him off.

"You and I have been like brothers since the first grade, so if I don't know you any better than O'Donnell then who does? I'm not about to stand aside and let some airheaded bitch swoop my best friend away from me."

"Hey, come on." Marcus said. "You mean more to me than some chick in a skin-tight jumpsuit…no offence, Anne."

Anna shrugged.

"You wouldn't be the first." she replied, glancing at Katt.

Marcus turned back to Chase.

"You're right. My best friend who I've known for ten years is worth much more than a girl I met…I dunno, like, two months ago. I mean, sure, she's smart and…" (Here he cleared his throat) "…sexy…but she's not the kinda person who'll watch my back through life and limb."

Marcus laid a hand on Chase's shoulder.

"There are only a handful of people who'll do that…and Number One is right here."

Chase looked into his friend's eyes and smiled.

"Ah, c'mere, man."

The two embraced in a brotherly hug.

"Besides," Marcus spoke up. "You were right. She was just luring me into a trap. She tried to kill me."

As if on cue, Chase leaped back and pointed at Marcus with a superior tone in his voice.

"Aha! What did I tell ya?"

"Thanks for not rubbing it in…" Marcus grumbled sarcastically

"Oh, yeah! I was right! Mark was wrong! Telepath blew it!"

"Don't push it."

"Well, at least we can stop worrying about Chase…but don't you think Coyote might come after you again?" Anna asked.

"Of course not." Marcus said, rolling his eyes. "Let's say I really laid down the cards on her this time."

Anna suddenly took notice of the large bump in Marcus' backpack.

"What's that thing?" she asked.

Marcus reached into his pack and pulled out the Krazoa's Orb.

"Hey, I know what that is!" Chase exclaimed. "The Krazoa Master gave you that, right?"

"Uhh…yeah. Why?"

Chase ran over to his computer and started booting up a program on it.

"Just what exactly are you doing?" Anna asked.

"The orb answers questions you have by providing you with mental images, but it will only work if your brain is reactive enough."

He pulled out a strange helmet with wires connected to it.

"Alrighty, Mark. Since Krystal is your mom, your brain is probably the most reactive."

"What's your point?" Marcus asked.

"If I hook this helmet up to you, we'll be able to interpret your brain waves on my computer. I'll analyze the data once we have everything."

"…okay. Makes enough sense…I guess."

Marcus sat down in a chair next to Chase's computer. He held the orb firmly in both hands as Chase carefully placed the helmet on his head.

"Alright, just let me boot up the analysis program…got it. Now close your eyes and clear your mind. Then, mentally ask the orb a question."

Marcus looked at Chase with a moderate scowl on his face.

"What are you, a therapist?" he asked.

Chase rolled his eyes.

"Just do it."

Marcus closed his eyes and tried his best to think of absolutely nothing at all. When his thoughts no longer clouded his imagination, he thought-spoke to the orb.

"Who is behind the Venomian attacks, and what is their plan?"

The orb hummed in his hands. Suddenly, it seemed as though Marcus had slipped into a dream.

**Dreaming...(You're already sick of this, aren't you?)**

He was floating high above Corneria City, and was shocked to see that it was in complete Armageddon!

Everyone was screaming and running away from laser fire raining down from the sky like hail. Venomian fighters were streaking all across the sky, and literally every building seemed to be on fire!

Next thing he knew, Marcus was floating in space high above the planet. As he watched, he could see groups of fissures forming on the planet surface far below. Then he saw the ground shake harder and harder every second.

"What the hell is going on?" Marcus thought.

Just then, without warning, the planet erupted into a gigantic sphere of fire and sent pieces of fractured ground spewing out through outer space.

"Oh my God…is this the future?" Marcus asked himself.

Suddenly, he couldn't see anything. He was floating in a black, empty space, though he could still see his body when he looked down. Just then, a loud hissing noise came from behind him.

He turned and screamed as a gigantic disembodied head and hands lunged right at him. He snapped his eyes open and screamed one word: "ANDROSS!"

**Awakening...**

The helmet was taken off Marcus' head. Falco, Anna, Katt and Damalgo were gathered around him.

"Andross?" Katt repeated. "What about Andross?"

Marcus took several deep breathes before sighing.

"Phew…that was a little scary…"

A little?

A few loud beeps came from Chase's computer.

"Got it." Chase announced.

A light on Chase's computer blinked repeatedly

"Analyzing the data…aaaaaaaand…done!"

The others gathered around the computer. Onscreen, there was an image of Corneria. An odd graph was next to the image.

"Okay…what's all this crap?" Falco asked.

"From the data that the orb projected into Marcus' mind," Chase began. "I gather that the seismic activity from Corneria's core has been acting up like crazy. In fact, it seems like there's been two magnitude six earthquakes on the planet's surface since we left."

"Was the city damaged?" asked Marcus.

"No, thank God. The quakes were nowhere near the city, but after I did a little more analysis, I figured out that there's something INSIDE the planet core causing the quakes!"

"Did you figure out EXACTLY what that might be?" Anna asked.

Chase pressed a few more buttons on his computer. Suddenly, the computer went to a loading screen.

"Looks like your computer's making some kind of DNA verification." Damalgo said.

Chase looked at Damalgo with a weird look on his face.

"How did you know that?"

"I know stuff."

Suddenly, the computer beeped.

"We've got a DNA match!" Chase said.

"Click it!" Marcus instructed.

Chase clicked on the tab that appeared. Suddenly, another image appeared. Everyone's mouths fell open.

"No…it can't be!" Falco sputtered.

The DNA verification had matched Andross. If this data was correct, then that could only mean that the thing inside the planet core was Andross' soul!

"H-how is that possible?" Marcus sputtered. "I thought Dad killed him!"

"It looks like his soul was somehow transferred into the core on…October 21st." Chase said. "Since that date, he's been drawing energy from the planet to construct a body for himself!"

"Oh, no!" Anna whispered. "He's trying to resurrect himself!"

Chase continued.

"Even worse, it looks like the quakes were caused by him drawing energy into himself. He's weakening the planet's structure. It's only a matter of time before…"

Chase was suddenly as silent as a mime.

"What? Before what happens?" Damalgo asked.

"Bad things." Chase replied meekly.

"Like what?" Katt said impatiently. "Spit it out already!"

"Try the Cornerian apocalypse!"

Everyone gasped.

"You mean…" Marcus started.

"I'm dead serious!" Chase said. "If something isn't done about Andross' soul in forty-eight hours, Corneria's going to explode!"

"You mean everyone on Corneria is going to die, and there's nothing we can do to save them?"

Chase took another scan of the planet surface. Just then, a light bulb went on in his head.

"No…there is something we can do." he concluded. "If I can use the satellite uplink on the Beltino Orbital Gate in orbit around the planet, I can open a wormhole leading directly to the planet core. We'll be able to take down Andross before he can fully restore himself, and the seismic activity will go back to normal."

"Alright, let's get back to Corneria ASAP." Marcus ordered. "We've gotta warn Peppy."

Anna suddenly checked the locater device on her computer.

"Mark! We're getting a distress signal from planet Titania." she said. "It looks like a group of Cornerian militia's been stranded there."

"Looks like there's a little kink in the plan, then." Marcus said.

"What happened to the whole 'Warn Peppy' bit…or have you already forgotten?" Katt asked.

"That can wait. There's no point in saving our world if we can't save its people, too. ROB, did you get the light speed fixed while I was gone?"

"Confirmed." ROB replied. "Light speed fully functional and ready for use."

"The droid has spoken. Let's go! Light speed up!"

_That's a bitch, ain't it? The chick makes one wrong move and the whole thing comes crashing down. At this rate,I assume Coyote's more like a femme fatale than a Mary Sue. Anyway, heads up for one more filler chapter before the climax starts up...heh. I said climax..._


	22. The Right to Remain Silent

_In a recent review of this story (that was positive. Thanks, man! Always need encouragement!), I was asked if I was a brony because of something I wrote in the story. The answer you're looking for is no...but while we're on the subject..._

_"Add a little more and you count to four and you never get your filla!...SANDVICH! So moist and delicious SANDVICH! I'M COMING FOR YOU SANDVICH..."...well, you get the idea._

_Scout: "THIS DID NOT JUST HAPPEN!?"_

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

**The Right to Remain Silent**

**Okami Desert, Planet Titania**

"Hello? Hello?!" Marcus called into the comm. "This is the Star Fox team. Does anyone copy? Over?"

"Forget it, Mark." Falco said. "We aren't getting any radio transmission through this storm."

"Just our luck. I've been on a prehistoric planet for three days and now I'm lost in the desert."

While Damalgo stayed behind on the _Great Fox_ with ROB, learning how to use the Arwing, the rest of the team had flown down to Titania's surface in an attempt to locate the missing military group.

The thing about Titania is that it is the most barren out of all the planets in the Lylat System. This was most likely because it frequently had sandstorms that caused a tremendous amount of radio interference. Unfortunately for the team, there was a sandstorm going on at that very moment, and they were smack-dab in the eye of it, so finding the militia was definitely going to be more trouble than it was worth.

"Good God, I can't see a thing!" Katt whined. "And it's just our luck that we've gotta find those troops with any radio conference."

"Just keep moving forward." Anna said. "We're bound to find them eventually."

"If by 'eventually' you mean in two days when our HOME PLANET BLOWS UP!" Chase responded.

The five Arwings shot through the thick of the inside strained their eyes to see as best as they could. Sand was literally whipping all over the place, but Katt could just barely see something sticking out of the earth below.

"Hey…what's that down there?"

A ship that was almost identical to the Arwing, except with a V-shaped wing formation. It was half-buried in the sand almost twenty-five feet below them. It was hard to make out anything, but Marcus was fairly sure that he knew what it was.

"Isn't that a Cornerian military fighter?" he asked.

"Hey, it is!" Anna exclaimed. "Oh, man. I hope the pilots are safe."

"I think I see some footprints in the sand down there." Chase said. "Looks like they only left recently."

"Those guys have gotta the only people I know who are stupid enough to go through a sandstorm on-foot." Falco grumbled.

Everyone slammed their feet down on their boost pedals and shot forward, deeper into the storm. Just then, Chase's radar beeped.

"Incoming bogies at 2 o'clock!" he shouted.

A group of Venomian fighters zipped out of the haze from the northeast.

"Guess they've got a base here, too." Katt growled.

"Where DON'T they have one?" Anna asked.

"Let's take 'em all out!" Falco shouted.

As the two groups grew closer together, a barrage of lasers flew through the sky from both sides. Marcus and Chase swerved to the left and blasted down two fighters. Katt, meanwhile, got a little daring (or otherwise impatient) and shot right through the group. When she broke through, two of the enemy fighters were hot on her tail.

"Grrr! Stupid apes!" she shouted. "Back off!"

Anna locked onto Katt's pursuers with her Multi-Lock and blasted them all with charged shots. The ships went careening down into the craggy landscape.

"Phew. Nice job, Anne." Katt remarked. "You're pretty good in a pinch."

"It's what I do." Ann replied.

Suddenly, two gigantic tanks rolled out of the haze, aimed their heavy 50-caliber guns at the team and fired.

"Watch out!" Chase shouted. "That thing's got some really heavy firepower!"

"Oh, perfect!" Marcus shouted said as he pulled up on the steering control.

Falco was so lucky. The giant blast just barely skinned the _Sky Claw_.

"Bah! I ate that!" Falco growled.

He deployed a bomb at the tanks. It soared to the ground and caused a massive explosion. Pieces of the tanks went flying everywhere as the explosion blew them to bits.

"Guess no beat-down is enough or these bastards!" Falco grumbled. "They just keep comin' back for more!"

"Then let's give 'em more!" Marcus said.

A large group of rock formations appeared out of the horizon. They zigzagged, fell, curved and back-turned all over.

"Craggy my ass!" Anna said. "This place is a frickin' warzone!"

Marcus swerved underneath one rock and had to somersault to keep from smacking into another one right behind it.

"Yeah, no kiddin'. My bedroom's cleaner than this." he remarked.

After they had swerved through the mess of stone, Anna's radar beeped.

"We're getting close to the Venomian base. I've got a hunch that the soldiers might be there." she said.

"A Venomian base in the middle of Titania?" Chase asked, raising his brow.

"…yeah." Anna replied. "Let's hope I'm wrong."

More Venomian fighters came flying out from the direction that Anna had pointed out.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing here?" one of the pilots shouted. "This is a secured area!"

"Umm, I don't know where to start with you." Marcus said. "I mean, do you even know who you're talking to?"

The enemy units jetted toward the team and began firing.

"Apparently not." Marcus concluded.

The boys swerved off to the left, barrel-rolled to deflect the enemy's shots, and fired at them. Turrets suddenly sprang up from the sand and used their remote sensors to fire at the incoming trespassers.

"I gotta hand it to these punks; they sure take security seriously." Falco said as he swerved up and to the right.

All of a sudden, a giant metal door built into a wall that seemed to stretch on for miles was standing tall in front of them.

"That's the main entrance." Anna said. "Hit that red spot above the door"

Sure enough, a small red spot was placed just above the mighty door. Marcus shot it. It turned green and the door slowly slid open. A large gust of sand flew through the opening and hindered the team's view for a few moments. When the sand had cleared away, the sight they saw was enough to make them stop and go…

"Son of a mother duck!"

They didn't see a base. Just huge chunks of debris lying on the sand and flaming. A few towers still stood, but most of them looked like something had taken a huge bite out of them.

"Wha…what the hell happened to the…" Anna uselessly sputtered.

"Somebody beat us here." Falco said. "It's all gone!"

Suddenly, one of the remaining towers came loose from its base and fell toward Marcus' ship. He saw it ahead of time and just barely managed to boost out of the way.

"Ai! Gab ar o nuhpt!" he shouted.

"Uhh, Mark…what did you just say?!" Falco asked in a bewildered tone.

"…I said 'Ah! Son of a bitch!' Why? You gonna complain about vulgarity?"

"Not in English, you didn't!"

"Huh?!"

"Sounded like a buncha gibberish to me." Chase said. "At least it had rhythm."

Marcus got a weird look on his face. If he hadn't spoken English…then what HAD he spoken? Besides, how could he speak another language without knowing he could? It couldn't have already become second nature.

Just then, a loud, yet low howling noise echoed through the air. Off in the distance, the team could see a large creature's shadow slithering in and out of the sand.

"I don't know that was, but he obviously ain't nice." Falco said.

"You think?" Chase asked sarcastically.

The sandstorm picked up. Two tall towers had lasers mounted on them. Unfortunately, the lasers had just sensed the team. Long, thin beams came out of the guns and began moving toward the five Arwings.

"Watch out!" Chase shouted. "Those beams will cut through us like butter!"

"Always have to do things the hard way, don't they?" Marcus grumbled.

The ships rose up and away from the lasers, which continued to follow them up. Katt and Falco locked onto the laser guns and fired smart bombs at them. The guns came off their hinges and plummeted into the sand.

"Hard way my ass." Falco chuckled. "We can down 'em in our sleep!"

Chase rolled his eyes.

"Really? Then down THEM with your hands tied behind your back." he said sarcastically as three more gigantic tanks rolled toward them.

"Sarcasm. Hate it. Stop using it." Falco growled.

These tanks were about as big as three Arwings put together. The team dropped smart bombs at them, but after the huge explosion from the bombs had cleared, the tanks were still there.

"Little help down here, ROB!" Marcus said into his comm.

With those words, the _Great Fox_'s massive lasers shot down from the atmosphere and slammed into the tanks, blowing all three of them to pieces. A large, floating robot suddenly appeared out of nowhere and began firing at the ships.

"Hey, it's that prototype again!" Falco exclaimed. "We've shot this thing down twice already!"

"What are you talking about?" Anna asked. "I've never even seen that thing before in my life!"

"Yeah, YOU didn't!"

"…I'm gonna take a wild guess and say the Aparoid Invasion, right?" Marcus asked.

The Aparoids were a group of robotic insects that literally became hell-bent on assimilating everything in the Lylat System, and would have succeeded if Fox, Falco, Slippy and Krystal hadn't killed the Aparoid Queen and made all the Aparoids self-destruct.

"Hey!" Chase shouted. "Why are we talking about some stupid bugs when there's a frickin' ROBOT shooting at us!"

Marcus snapped to attention, dodged the prototype's blasts and used the Mach 4 smash maneuver to send it colliding into the base wall.

The low roaring rang through the air again, as did the shadow off in the distance for all off three seconds.

"Whatever that thing is, it's gotta be huge!" Katt exclaimed. "Those soldiers could be dead for all we know!"

"Let's keep moving and hope to God they're not!" Marcus said.

"Incoming enemy group behind us!" Chase hollered. "Everyone do a loop!"

The team pulled up on their steering control and their ships somersaulted over and behind their pursuers.

"What're these punks doing here?!" one of the Venomian pilots shouted.

"We're not trying to cause trouble!" Marcus responded in an aggravated tone.

"That's easy to say after all YOU'VE done!" another pilot shot back.

"What, you freaks think WE did this?" Falco yelled, glancing at what remained of the base.

"Oh, right. Our base just HAPPENED to be in ruins and you inferior beings just HAPPENED to be here when we came back from scouting."

"Shaddup, you fleabag, or you and I are gonna settle things the old-fashioned way!"

"Why you insolent little…"

Before the Venomian could finish the insult, five long, spindly tentacles shot up from the sand, seized the Venomian fighters and dragged them down out of sight. The entire team sat there in their ships with their mouths agape.

"Oh…my…god." Marcus trailed out.

"OK, now I KNOW something's not right!" Katt shouted.

The five Arwings rounded a corner and zipped through a narrow, turret-lined crevice before they reached the opposite side of the base. Falco shot the red spot above the door. With a loud, metallic, creaking noise, the door slid open and the team jetted through it.

As soon as the base was about five clicks behind them, the ground quaked.

"When the said this planet was hazardous, they left out the earthquakes, didn't they?" Marcus said. "Man, I'm already sick of this place."

"Mark…" Chase said. "That wasn't an earthquake."

"…we've got trouble?"

"We've got trouble."

In an instant, a large amount of sand erupted from the planet surface.

"Agh! What the hell?!" Katt shrieked.

Suddenly, a massive beast erupted from the sand. It had two gigantic crab-like arms and six long, spindly ones with scythes-like protrusions at the end. Its face looked like the combination of a spider and a moth.

"Gah! Freakiest freak of the freaky freaks!" Anna exclaimed.

"I don't even WANNA know what that is!" Chase said with his mouth wide open.

The freakish beast roared at them. It was then that Marcus noticed that the beast held something in its right claw: a large, metal, spherical cage. Inside, Marcus could see five men dressed in Cornerian military suits and frightened looks on their faces.

"He's got the militia!" Marcus shouted.

"Then go for the claws first!" Anna hollered. "We don't want those guys to get hurt!"

The team immediately dove at the right claw.

"Shield analysis complete." Chase said. "Bringing it up on the monitor."

The shield bar appeared on Marcus' monitor.

"Hit him hard and don't hold back!" he shouted.

Lasers went flying through the air as the five ships engaged the hideous Hybrid's claw. The Hybrid swung its free claw at the team. They dropped below the beast's appendage. Katt, Chase and Anna swerved over the Hybrid's back to its other side, leaving Marcus and Falco to fend off the right arm.

"Oh, sure! Leave us alone, why don't ya?!" Falco shouted.

"Dividing tasks evenly." Marcus said. "It's a smart move when you think about it."

"Not when you're about to get smoked!"

Right as he said that, the Hybrid swung its arm at them. Marcus managed to swerve up just in time, but Falco's ship was just barely skinned by the claw.

"Dang, this can't happen to me!" he growled.

The Hybrid fired plasma beams from its eight, beady eyes.

"Yeow! Gotta get…outta…the way!" Chase screamed as he clumsily dodged the beams.

The beams came down like rain as Marcus and Falco literally looked all over the Hybrid's claw (which they had to keep dodging from the massive bug constantly swinging it at them.), looking for any trace of a weak point.

"Anne, hurry up!" Marcus shouted. "We can't hold off like this forever!"

"OK, calm down! Try shooting the arm segment!" Anna replied.

Marcus had a close look at the section that connected the Hybrid's arm with its body. Pieces of the tough exoskeleton were cracked off and revealing a fleshy internal spot. Marcus and Falco locked onto the spot and began shooting at it as quickly as they possibly could. The Hybrid responded by angrily hissing at its attackers. Its two antennae glowed and launched mercury rings at them.

"Heads up!" Chase shouted.

Everyone swerved out of the way of the rings. Once the projectiles had cleared, Marcus locked onto the arm segment and blasted it with a charged shot. This time, the claw was severed from the Hybrid's body. The beast cried out in pain and the cage holding the Cornerian soldiers went hurtling to the ground.

Falco swerved around and flew back towards the cage.

"I'll check on the soldiers! You guys take that thing down hard and fast!" he shouted.

The Hybrid was now even more furious than before. It roared at the team again.

"Ewww, there's just something creepy about this guy." Chase said, hitting the brakes to avoid slamming into the Hybrid's hideous visage.

"Destroy the other one! Quick!" Ann shouted.

The Hybrid began shooting more beams from its eyes.

"Stupid bug! Just die already!" Chase growled. "Man, do frogs on Earth really eat things like this?!"

Katt swerved through the beams, targeted the second segment and released a smart bomb.

"Bombs away!" she shouted.

The bomb collided with the segment and blew the arm off. The Hybrid shrieked even louder than before and began angrily stomping its feet.

"OK, NOW he's pissed!" Marcus said.

Suddenly, a crack appeared on the Hybrid's back, getting wider and wider with each second the creature remained idle.

"What's going on?" Katt asked. "Is it gonna…"

A scorpion's tail came crashing out of the crack and immediately began swinging at the team.

"Oh, great. Another tendril we need to worry about." Anna grumbled.

The Hybrid's eight eyes suddenly lit up. Anna knew that kind of glowing spot anywhere.

"Mark, shoot its eyes!"

"Copy that."

Marcus dive-bombed toward the creature's ugly head. As soon as they were level, the Hybrid spewed hot flames from its maw.

"HA-CHA-CHA-HOT!" Marcus yelled as he swerved out of the way. "I think this guy's eaten one too many hot tamales."

As soon as the flames dispersed, Marcus shot toward the creature's face and started blaring off his cannons. After about ten laser blasts, three charged shots and a smart bomb, the Hybrid's eight eyes exploded. It let out one last pained shriek before collapsing dead on the ground.

"…well, I could've figured that out." Chase said.

"So why didn't you?" Marcus asked with a smug grin on his face.

"We've caused this much trouble to the Venomians and they send a BUG to fight us?" Katt said. "They must think we've got no spines at all."

"But it looks so weird…" Chase said. "I've gotta analyze this thing."

"Guys!" Falco said. "I've just spoken with the soldiers. They're all OK."

"Got it, Falco." Marcus said. "We're heading in your direction."

The four Arwings U-turned and shot down toward the soldiers on the ground. They carefully landed their ships and hopped out.

"Hey, Star Fox!" the commander said. "Thanks for your help back there!"

One of the other soldiers, probably the youngest one, spoke up.

"I almost thought we weren't gonna make it when that bug showed up. We owe you one!"

"Say no more." Marcus said. "We've gotta get back to Corneria and speak with General Hare. We can give you a lift back if you want."

The commander sighed out of relief.

"THAT would be a big help."

**Home at last...**

The _Great Fox_ lowered itself down into the hangar in the Grand Cornerian Airway. Just before the ship touched down, Marcus spotted several police cruisers just outside the building.

"Did any of you contact Peppy and tell him about the…code red situation?" he asked.

"No." Chase replied.

"Then why are the cops here?"

The team, Damalgo and the five soldiers beamed down to the ground, but as soon as Marcus stepped outside the building, all the police officers had their guns trained on him.

"Whoa, hey!" he shouted. "What's the big idea?!"

"Some welcome." Damalgo said sarcastically.

The Chief of Police stepped forward.

"Marcus James McCloud?" he asked.

Marcus hesitated, then stammered: "…yes?"

The Chief stood behind Marcus, grabbed his wrists and pulled them behind his back. A loud snap went through the air. For a moment, Marcus thought that the Chief had broken his wrists, but then he looked behind him. Binding his hands together were a pair of silver handcuffs.

"You're under arrest."

**Across the galaxy...**

As she came up on the hangar near her house, Coyote scoured through the Cornerian family files on the monitor in her ship's escape pod. She looked up the name "O'Donnell", but only Wolf appeared. No one on Corneria but the Star Fox team even knew she existed.

She was still slightly guilty about trying to kill Marcus, but right now she was trying to figure out what that voice in the Gamewell Maze had been talking about. She could gripe about her own bad decision later.

Just then, she remembered that her mother's last name was Grey, so she typed that name in. As soon as the results came up, Coyote's mouth dropped open.

Connecting to Lori with a line that represented a sibling bond was Bill Grey!

"Bill Grey is my…wait, but that means…."

She scrolled down through the file again and saw something that shocked her even more: she had a cousin! And not just any cousin.

"No way!" Coyote stammered.

As she landed the escape pod in the hangar, she hopped out. Now she felt absolutely horrible. Not because of what she had just seen, but what she had done. Just a few hours ago she had tried to murder the only boy she'd ever kissed. And why? Because her father told her to. That had been her mission the whole time: to blast his sorry ass into oblivion.

"Why did I do that?" she whispered. "I'm such a bitch!"

She furiously kicked her ship's remains. Just then, the hangar's robotic constructor spoke.

"Hey, Coyote. Why the mope?"

A.D.A (Autonomous Dutiful Android) was a robotic arm that served as a construction robot for Coyote's ship. ADA was Coyote's only other friend, as this robot was actually capable of showing emotion. Whenever ADA saw Coyote upset, she would do everything she could to make her feel better.

"…I did something bad, ADA." Coyote said, sitting down in front of the robot.

"What happened?" ADA asked.

"I…I finally found my knight in shining armor…and I betrayed him."

ADA moved over toward Coyote.

"You loved Marcus, didn't you?" she asked.

Coyote nodded as small tears started to form in her eyes.

"If Dad finds out, there's no telling what he'll do…I don't want him to be mad at me, but I don't want him to hold me back, either. I don't know which way to turn."

"My advice would be to just tell him the truth." ADA said. "At least then he'll know how you really feel. I know you, Coyote. You're a big girl. Don't let him see that you're afraid."

Coyote looked at ADA. With those words, she felt herself getting braver.

"Okay…no matter what happens…I've gotta take a stand."

She stood up and walked out the door, but not before saying "Rebuild my ship while I'm up there."

Coyote stomped up the moon-illuminated hill towards her house, her heart fuming with rage at herself. Even if she was able to stand up to Wolf for loving Marcus, she'd still never be welcome around the young McCloud ever again.

As soon as she opened the front door, her mother hugged her with so much strength that it nearly snapped her spine.

"Oh, Coyote! Thank God! Are you OK?" Lori asked almost hysterically.

"Nice…to see you, too…Mom." Coyote gagged. "Could you let go now?"

Lori let go of her daughter. Coyote looked to her right Wolf was standing in the doorway, and he looked very cross with her.

"Uhh…hi, Dad." she said stupidly

"Where have you been?" Wolf asked.

"I-I did what you sent me to do."

"You've been gone for THREE DAYS! Fighting Star Fox doesn't take three days. Do you know how worried we've been?"

Coyote sighed and her face fell. There was no way she could lie to Wolf. He could read her like an open book.

"Tell me the truth." Wolf said. "What were you doing?"

"Well…the team was going to Sauria to find some ancient treasure and…"

"And?"

"…I helped them."

Wolf was taken aback by Coyote's sentence.

"You WHAT?!"

"What's the big deal?! You helped Fox when you were in Star Wolf, so why can't I help Marcus?"

"Because every time we help our enemies, we wind up regretting it!"

Coyote scowled.

"Why is it always 'we'?" she angrily thought.

"You can't help him because it'll only make him more superior." Wolf continued. "Aren't you tired of living in the McCloud family's shadow?"

Coyote was fed up. She hated hearing about this rivalry, and she definitely hated talking about it. She was sick and tired of it.

"That's all my whole life's been about!" she said in a furious tone. "I don't want to fight Fox, Krystal and ESPECIALLY not Marcus! When are you gonna stop telling me what to do and just let me think for myself?!"

"When you learn how to live on your own without assistance just like I did. You've never gone a single day out on your own."

"You're not my damned commanding officer! You're my father! If we didn't live in complete isolation, maybe I COULD go off on my own! I've never had a single friend in my life because we live so far from civilization! Being with Marcus made me feel happy! I cared so much about him and you made me do something so terrible to him!"

Wolf was beginning to get incredibly suspicious. Why was she defending Marcus like this?

"Coyote…are you saying that you're in love with that tramp?"

Coyote sucked in an angry breath and screamed her answer.

"Yes, okay?! YES! I admit it! I, Coyote Lorraine O'Donnell, am head over heels for Marcus James McCloud, leader of the Star Fox team. And don't you dare call him a tramp!"

Wolf stared at her with wide eyes.

"And you're not afraid to admit that in front of your own father?" he asked

"No!" Coyote screamed. "I'm not afraid of you! And you know why I helped him? Because I owe him! He saved my life more times than you know! But now he hates me for doing what you wanted me to do!"

"Good! Now he won't care about your next attempt!"

"What next attempt?! No matter what you say to me, I'm never going to do something so stupid and wrong ever again!"

"Don't you talk back to me, young lady! Whether you like it or not, that boy is your enemy!"

Coyote had had enough. She couldn't take this anymore. She turned on her heel and yanked the door open.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" Wolf asked angrily.

Coyote didn't look back. She just stood there in the doorway and answered.

"You've just shown that you don't care what I think…that I'm just a pawn in a sick little game of chess…"

She tightened her grip on the doorknob.

"That's not how a father should treat his child…so now…I'm leaving! AND I'M NEVER COMING BACK!"

She slammed the door behind her and ran back to the hangar. Wolf stepped back and sat down on the stairs. He felt guilt close around his heart like a metal gauntlet. He had scorned his own daughter simply for being in love…and now she was gone.

"What kind of father am I?" he thought.

Lori stooped down next to him.

"Wolf…she needs to start making her own decisions. She'll never be a real woman if you keep deciding what's best for her. It doesn't work that way."

Wolf buried his face in his hands.

"Lori…what have I done?"

**A fit of rage conquering all thought later...**

"Where will you go?" ADA asked as Coyote hopped inside the fully regenerated _Iron Maiden_.

"I don't know…but anywhere is better than here."

Coyote gripped the steering control in utter fury. ADA rolled up to her.

"Coyote…I just want you to know that wherever you go…I'm rooting for you. Be strong for me, alright?"

Coyote looked at her robotic friend as a tear fell from her eye.

"Thanks, ADA."

Coyote hugged the robotic arm and waved good-bye as she closed the cockpit and piloted her ship out of the hangar and into the atmosphere. She took one fateful look back as she left her home behind.

No one cared about her anymore…not her father…not Marcus…nobody. So right where Coyote sat, for the first time in her life….

….she burst into tears.


	23. Marcus versus Marcus

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

**Marcus versus Marcus**

**Cornerian Police Station**

**8:45 p.m.**

"But I don't understand! What did I do wrong?!" Marcus blurted out to the police officer sitting across from him.

He was sitting in an interrogation room at the police station. It turned out that he really was under arrest and that jail time was inevitable. Fox and Krystal were sitting on either side of Marcus and were in just as much shock as he was.

"Well, here are the facts." the officer said. "At approximately 2:30 p.m. this afternoon, a figure that bystanders claim was you appeared at the Katina Defense Outpost. Without warning, the figure damaged several sections of the base with what appeared to be a heavy-duty rocket launcher and severely injured about half a dozen of the troops dispatched there."

"What?!" Marcus shouted. "But I was never on Katina!"

"Oh, really?"

The officer turned to the other one behind him.

"Roll the clip."

The second officer pushed a button on the remote he was holding. A TV on the wall flickered on, and a scene began to play out.

The clip was from a monochromatic security camera positioned just underneath a rut in the base's wall. As Marcus watched the clip, he saw several large explosion coming from the base and Cornerian troops running toward a figure that seemed to destroying the base with large psychokinetic pulses from his palms. The soldiers had AK-47s trained on the figure, who suddenly stretched out a hand. As though something had seized their collarbones, the soldiers were pulled off the ground and suspended in the air. The figure flicked his wrist to the left, and the soldiers went flying in that direction. Just then, the figure turned and looked right at the camera.

Marcus' mouth dropped open. The figure was him!

The on-screen Marcus evilly smiled at the camera, and then suddenly bounded at the camera with his hand outstretched. The screen went black.

Marcus' looked at the officers in disbelief.

"That's…that's impossible! I've been framed!" he shouted.

"Yeah, and I wrote the Bible." the officer remarked sarcastically.

Marcus looked down at his feet. He had no proof that it wasn't him. He was doomed to be a convict for God knew how long.

"No point in denying it, kid." the officer spoke up. "It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal. You did it, no one else."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Fox shouted at the officer. "My son would never do a thing like that! How can you honestly think that he could throw six Cornerian soldiers without even touching them?!"

"And what the hell gives you the right to immediately declare him guilty?!" Krystal yelled, a rare curse word crossing her lips. "Whatever happened to freedom of speech?! Even I had that back where I came from!"

The officer rolled his eyes.

"Tell you what: I'll make you a deal." he said. "If you can somehow miraculously come up with SOME proof of your innocence, I can get you in front of a judge Wednesday morning."

Marcus' head snapped up in alarm. Wednesday was three days from then. If what Chase had told him and the rest of the team was true, everyone on Corneria (including him) would be dead by then, with their guts floating endlessly through space.

Marcus stood up and slammed his fist on the table.

"You don't understand!" he half-shouted. "Something very bad is going to happen in two days, and if you lock me up now, there's nothing we can do to stop it!"

The officer rolled his eyes.

"Don't get in over your head, kid. I'm sure it's nothing the army can't handle."

"No, it's worse than that!" Marcus said. "If you convict me, in two days we're all gonna die!"

"Alright, that's enough! I'm not going to listen to some kid tell me that I shouldn't lock him up for whatever reason. You've got three minutes to talk to your parents, and then it's off to the slammer for you."

The two officers left the room, but not before one of them muttered "This is what happens to flyboys who don't attend the flight academy…"

The door closed. Marcus slumped into the chair, put his face in his hands and furiously screamed and cursed.

"Marcus…" Krystal said, putting a hand on her son's shoulder.

Marcus looked up.

"I didn't do it, Mom." he said.

"We believe you." Fox said. "But these simpletons don't. We can try to find some proof of your innocence, but…what do you mean we're all gonna die?"

Marcus couldn't look his father in the eye. He just muttered his answer.

"…Corneria's gonna blow up."

Marcus' parents were absolutely speechless for about five seconds.

"But…how?!" Fox asked.

Marcus explained everything…what he had seen on the orb and what Chase had said.

"And now that I'm convicted, there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"Surely we can get you out somehow!" Krystal said. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Marcus was silent for a few moments, then he suddenly got an idea.

"Tell the team to get in contact with Peppy. They'll explain everything to him. He'll definitely put two-and-two together and figure out I had nothing to do with what happened on Katina."

Fox grinned.

"Good thinking, sport! Peppy has enough authority to spring you just by thinking about it."

"…but if you didn't attack the base on Katina," Krystal said. "Then who did?"

Marcus though about that remark for a moment. The figure on the TV looked exactly like him. In fact, that figure could have passed as a near perfect copy of him, save for its telekinesis and vicious nature….but who was he? WHAT was he?

"Hell if I know." he answered.

The door opened. The two officers stepped back into the room.

"Time's up, McCloud." one of them said. "Let's go."

Marcus gave Fox and Krystal each one last hug before standing up and stepping towards the guards.

"The way I see it, you two ain't gonna see this little scumbag for a while" the first officer said.

"Scumbag?! Looks who's talkin', you jackass!" Marcus thought.

The officer's remark was enough to make Fox crack his knuckles and come at the officer with his fist raised.

"You pompous, over-glorified, cocky son of a…"

"Dad!" Marcus said. "Don't. He's not worth it."

Fox hesitated, then lowered his fist, but not before pointing at the officer and slowly growling out a threat.

"Never insult my family in front of me. It may be the last thing you ever do."

The officers, shaken slightly by Fox's outburst, led Marcus out of the room. Fox sat down.

"How could this happen? My son…arrested for something he didn't do." he thought.

Krystal had sensed that thought. She felt his pain. She wrapped her arms around Fox's shoulders and gently kissed his cheek.

"It's alright, Fox." she said.

Fox touched his wife's face.

"It's not gonna be alright until we do what he asked. Let's find the team. Now."

**9:00 p.m.**

After forty-five minutes of mug shots and fingerprinting (as well as having his staff confiscated), the officers led Marcus down a hall lined with large cells

He wasn't worried about his punishment that much. They weren't allowed to perform capital punishment anymore. But they could still keep you in jail for the rest of your life if they had enough evidence against you, and that was just as bad as being executed. Most convicts committed suicide in less than a day.

Murderers, thieves, drug addicts and felons of all shapes and sizes. They were all there, and they were all yelling like crazy. They were all madly banging on the iron bars as Marcus and the officer passed. One of them even pointed at Marcus and crazily said "Fresh meat!"

"What kind of sick place is this?!" Marcus thought.

The officer opened one cell with two beds, a toilet and a sink.

"In you get." he said, shoving Marcus inside.

Marcus took one look at the toilet on the wall and winced.

"I have to go in THAT?! My God, don't these people even know what the word sanitation means?!"

The door shut and the officer walked down the hall. Marcus grabbed the iron bars and shouted after him.

"Hey, wait! Just let me speak to Peppy Hare! I need to talk to General…"

The door at the end of the hall slammed shut.

"GOD DAMN IT!"

Marcus growled. He inhaled and exhaled through his gritted teeth like a bull.

"Hey, mac." a voice said behind him.

Marcus looked behind him. Sitting on one of the cots was a tall, muscular pig wearing a tattered leather jacket, ripped jeans, a camouflage muscle shirt and a red ascot. He had spoken in a thick, matured Australian accent.

Marcus hesitated, and then replied as he turned to face the stranger.

"Hey."

"What're you in for?" the pig asked.

Marcus could guess from his voice that this guy was in his early 20s. Another thing he noticed was that he wasn't acting like a complete lunatic like the other prisoners. He seemed relatively laidback.

"Apparently, I attacked the Defense Outpost on Katina and nearly killed a few soldiers." Marcus answered.

"'Apparently?' You sayin' you didn't do it?"

"I think that's fairly obvious…but I don't have any proof."

Marcus stepped toward the pig and held out his hand.

"Anyways, hi. I'm Marcus McCloud." he said.

The pig grinned and shook Marcus' hand.

"Ah, the leader of the Star Fox team. Wasn't expectin' you to show up in here."

"Well, I'm here. And you are?"

"Peter Dengar at your service, mate."

Marcus' ears pricked up at the surname.

"Your last name is Dengar? Doesn't that mean that you're…" he started.

"Related to Pigma Dengar? Unfortunately, yes. Bloody oaf's my great-uncle."

"What did you get locked up for?"

"Have a sit and I'll tell ya."

Marcus sat down on the second cot and faced Peter.

"About six months ago, I saw this group of street punks chasing a seventeen-year old girl into an alleyway. I followed 'em and I'm not quite sure what they were doin', but it looked like they were tryin' to…let's just say they weren't being very polite."

"…Uhh…ooookaaaayyyyyy…"

"Anyhow, I couldn't take seeing that poor kid getting assaulted like that, so I grabbed the first little bastard's collarbone and smacked 'im upside his ugly honker. Then his buddies tried to give me the one-two, but I smoked them, too. The cops saw what I was doin' and hauled me off just like that."

"OK, who arrests someone for being a hero?"

"They thought I was just being a teen-hating jackass. My trial got stalled for a couple months, but they finally hit me with a whole year in this rat hole. Plus, my place got burned down while I was gone and my records got destroyed, so I can't get a decent job when I get out."

"What?! My God, that's just plain horrible!"

Peter nodded, but perked up a little bit.

"Still, I'm proud of what I did. The girl was at my trial, and when I ran into her in the hallway afterwards, she said, 'No matter what happens to you, I want you to know that you're a hero in my eyes.' Then she gave me a kiss on the cheek."

"You did the right thing. I'm sure that girl appreciates what you did for her." Marcus said, grinning slightly. "I bet she'll want to see you again someday."

How could he not grin? Peter was a self-confessed convict simply because he had been a real hero, and he didn't care that he had to suffer for it.

Peter sighed with a small grin on his face.

"Only problem is that I don't know what I'll do with the rest of my life when I get out. I'm nothin' but a guy with the pride of helping someone."

Peter looked at Marcus.

"So what exactly do you do in Star Fox?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Dunno. Just…what do you do?"

"Uhh…rescue missions, military assistance, and…"

Coyote suddenly flashed through Marcus' mind. The mere thought of her made him angry enough to make him feel like he'd burst into flames.

"Star Wolf!" he growled.

"Yeah, I've heard about those kinds of things. Doesn't sound like stuff any normal person would do."

Marcus started seething with anger, thinking about the girl that had befriended, seduced, and betrayed him. Peter was quick to notice.

"Oi, you alright?" he asked.

Marcus snapped out of his furious trance.

"Uhh…yeah…just got a little pissed off about something." he said.

"You won't be able to hold in that anger for too long, mate."

Peter cocked his head at the other convicts, who were still rattling the iron bars.

"They won't let you."

**In a twisted region of space-time...**

"What is your bidding, mistress?" Malice asked.

"Marcus has been imprisoned by the Cornerian Police Force, just as we planned." Kursed said, crossing her legs. "When the time is right, I want you to spring him loose from his cell and bring him to me."

Malice stood.

"What if he is able to resist confinement? I do sense a bit of spiritual strength from him."

"I sense it, as well. You have every right to be skeptical. If he can resist, then use force. Not deadly. Remember, I need him alive. He's no good to me if he's dead."

Kursed looked at the twisted skies of Limbo. To her and Malice, this was their paradise. To everyone else, this was the worst place imaginable.

"I will take back what my son has taken from me…and then…"

The first thing she would do was find Krystal, the traitor. She'd hurt her, make her cry bloody murder, then she'd kill Fox right in front of her. Finally, she'd tear Krystal's arms and legs off and then…

Her eyes narrowed at the thought of seizing Krystal's still-beating heart and ripping it right out of her chest.

"She must pay for betraying me."

The evil woman smiled. Nothing was more satisfying than watching a mortal fool scream, suffer and beg for mercy…especially when mercy was not granted. Pain was her ultimate arousal.

She looked back at Malice.

"Go. Find Marcus, bring him back alive…and don't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in your way."

Malice devilishly smiled. His favourite thing to do was murder an innocent person.

"Yes, my liege."

He bowed and walked out of the horrible place that he and Kursed called "home".

"So I finally get to meet that little squirt." he thought. "This oughta be fun."

**40 hours later**

**Hours until doomsday: 8**

"Hey, little boy." a scraggly woman in the cell across the hall said. "You wanna play with me? I'm real gentle."

Marcus and Peter both scowled.

"Jeez, what kinda scum do you live with?" Marcus asked.

"Murderers, thieves, drug lords…the usual deal."

Marcus was starting to get very worried. There were only eight hours left until the planet self-destructed, and he hadn't heard anything back from Peppy. In fact, he had used his one phone call earlier that day to call his parents and ask them about it. They had said that they had told the team about it, but that Peppy was away on assignment and wouldn't be back until later.

"Hey, you!" a man as thin as a wire shouted at Marcus.

Marcus glared at the man.

"What the hell do you want?"

The man started psychotically laughing, then his eyelid started twitching as he said "I'm gonna kill ya. I'm gonna grab your neck and snap it!"

Marcus wasn't impressed or intimidated in the slightest. For the past two days, every other convict in the hall had given him a death threat, so he was very much used to it by now. And that was besides the fact that most of them were about half his size or, like this guy, thin as a wire. One punch would knock them out cold. So he responded with the same way he responded with the other ones: he flipped up his middle finger. The man responded with the same way the others did: he laughed again and rattled the bars of his cell.

Marcus slumped back onto his cot.

"Peppy…please hurry." he muttered.

Marcus could see through the barred windows that it had started raining. His eyes grew heavy and he yawned.

"I guess forty winks wouldn't hurt." he yawned. "Jeez, I've had the worst day."

Marcus lay down and closed his eyes, but snapped them open two seconds later when the door opened.

"McCloud, you've got a visitor." the officer said.

Marcus sat up with joy, hoping it was Peppy or Bill or anyone else that could declare him innocent. But the person who stepped through the doorway wasn't any of those people.

The figure was Marcus' height, wearing black pants, black sneakers, and a black hoodie with the hood drawn up, hiding his face.

"Who is this guy, an emo version of the Grim Reaper or something?!" Marcus thought as he stood up.

"Be sure to shut the door when you leave, sir." the officer said. "We don't want any of these scumbags getting out."

"Thank you, officer." the figure said.

Marcus was shocked when the figure spoke. So was Peter.

"That voice…that's MY voice!" Marcus thought in panic. "Who is this guy?!"

The officer left. Marcus immediately wished that he hadn't been left alone with this stranger. Whoever he was, Marcus could tell that he wasn't normal. As soon as the door shut at the end of the hall, Marcus turned to the figure.

"Alright, who are you and what do you want?" Marcus asked.

The figure lowered his hood. Marcus gasped at what he saw. So did Peter.

"How…how is that even possible?!"

Marcus was looking at himself!

Malice smiled evilly.

"Surprised?"

"You…you're me!"

"Not exactly. I'm a little different…but I'm also better."

He had seen it for less than a minute, but Marcus could already tell that this thing was too full of itself. Different? Yes. Better? Who knew?

"Who are you?!"

"The name's Malice. I don't know if could guess from the way I looked, but I'm not of this world."

It didn't take long for Marcus to put two-and-two together and figure out that Malice was the reason that he was in jail.

"Then the guy who attacked the base on Katina…it was you! You framed me!"

Malice laughed.

"Very good, smart guy. You're not as stupid as you look. I was assigned by Great Mother to fool the military into thinking you were me. Therefore they would arrest you, allowing me to take you to Great Mother as her offering."

Great Mother? Who was he…wait…offering…Kursed!

"So you're just a pawn sent by Kursed to pick me up?" Marcus said, flaring his nostrils. "What, has the alpha female become a little pussy?!"

Malice's eyes narrowed.

"Huh. I take back what I said about you not being stupid…but I guess that's just it: you mortals are all the same."

Malice seized Marcus' hand.

"Come with me. You'll live longer than your dying planet."

"'Dying planet'?" Peter asked. "What's this marmaduke talking about, Mark?"

"Long story. I'll tell you later." Marcus replied before yanking his hand free of Malice's grip.

Marcus poked Malice in the chest.

"Listen, pal! I ain't goin' anywhere with you! Peppy will come for me, and when he does, me and my friends are gonna save this planet whether you like it or not."

Malice smirked and slammed his fists together.

"Oh, ho! So you wanna do it the hard way, huh?"

Marcus scoffed.

"Please. You couldn't beat me if I had both hands tied behind my back!"

"So be it."

Malice waved his hand. Before Marcus had time to react, his hands were pulled behind his back by an invisible force and tied there by a paranormal cord.

"Me and my big, fat mouth…" Marcus muttered.

"Now that we're all softened up," Malice said as he reached forward to grab Marcus' arm again. "It's time you got to see…"

Peter grabbed Malice from behind and pinned him to the wall.

"Mark! Get your staff!"

Marcus ran out of the cell as fast as he could. Malice seized Peter's collarbone and threw him against the iron bars of the cell door, knocking him unconscious.

"Don't meddle with Great Mother's influence, weakling." Malice growled at him. "It's foolish to resist her."

With that, Malice ran after Marcus. The staff was hung up on a wall at the end of the hallway. Though Marcus was fast approaching it, he could Malice come up on him.

"You can't escape me, you little bastard!" he shouted.

Marcus didn't care. He kept running, zipping past a passing guard.

"What the…prison break!" the guard shouted, running after Marcus.

Marcus flipped around when he reached the wall and pulled the staff off the wall, but right away he was staring down the barrel of the guard's rifle.

"Get back in your cell, McCloud!" he shouted.

"Look, there's a good explanation for all of…hey, watch out!"

Malice bowled over the guard as he streaked toward Marcus with his fist raised. Marcus himself dodged a heavy blow aimed at his head. Using what little movement he possibly could, Marcus kicked Malice square in the chest and sent him sprawling down the hall.

"What in the…there's t-two of you?!" the guard stammered.

Marcus knelt down next to the guard and tossed him the staff.

"No time to explain! Just cut me loose!"

The guard was bewildered for a moment, then took Marcus' staff and used the spear end to cut the ropes binding his wrists together.

"Thanks." Marcus said, taking the staff in his hands. "Now hide! This could get ugly!"

The guard couldn't believe that a prisoner had actually told him to hide, but after seeing the other one send him flying, he wasn't willing to take any more risks. After all, he had a wife and kids to take care of. He scurried behind the wall and hid.

Marcus extended the staff and crouched into a defensive stance as Malice stood up.

"Heh heh…not bad, kid. I'm impressed." Malice chuckled. "This might actually be fun."

"Don't try it, bub." Marcus shot back. "I'm deadly with this thing."

"As am I with these."

Long, chains appeared from Malice's wrists. His red eyes shone menacingly.

"Great…that's just great." Marcus grumbled.

Malice swung the chain on his left wrist. Marcus flipped out of the way, streaked forward and thrust his staff at his evil clone. The other chain wrapped around the tip of the staff. For several moments, the two look-alikes struggled to gain the upper hand. Finally, Marcus brought his heel down on Malice's foot and yanked the staff free.

Malice quickly recovered and swung the chains again. This time, they wrapped around Marcus' ankles. Malice slammed Marcus against the ground and held him down with his foot. Marcus responded by slamming his staff into the ground and knocking Malice off balance.

Malice growled as he recovered from the initial shock of the tremor.

"Stupid kid! I'm having a party with all the local whores when Great Mother eats you!"

"Okay, first off,…really? What the hell? Second, I already told that stupid bitch that I ain't nobody's damned lunch platter!"

The chains straightened into single-edged blades. Malice leaped at Marcus and swung his wrist blades. Marcus deflected the blows, then caught Malice's underarms and spun him in circles before slamming him into the wall.

All the prisoners were watching and shouting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Peter had woken up. As soon as he saw Marcus fighting Malice, he shouted, "Kick that ruddy dingo's ass, Mark!"

Malice front-flipped over Marcus' next attack, extended the chains, wrapped them around Marcus' wrists and slammed him into the walls, ceiling and floor. Marcus shook the stars out of his eyes and coughed the dust out of his mouth as Malice cackled over him.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do THAT, McCloud!"

Marcus growled.

"Fill your hand, you son of a bitch!"

Marcus angrily stood up and swung his fist at Malice's head. Malice himself performed a ninja-like jump and disappeared. Marcus' eyes darted around the room. Malice was nowhere in sight. Not above, not in front, not to the side, not behind.

Just then, Malice's wrist chains dropped from the ceiling and coiled around Marcus' neck, hauling him off the ground.

"Now are you gonna come quietly or do I have to go _Hellraiser _on you?"

Marcus rasped. Malice was cutting off his air supply. If he couldn't shake himself free, he'd suffocate within moments. Marcus didn't take any time to hesitate. He thrust his staff up and impaled Malice's chest. Malice screamed out of pain and dropped from the ceiling. The chains uncoiled and Marcus took in a few breathes as he regained control of his lungs. The two look-alikes glared at each other and were about to have at it again when the door at the end of the hallway was kicked open, and someone Marcus was overjoyed to see ran in.

"Peppy!"

As soon as Peppy was standing in front of Marcus and Malice, he whipped out his shotgun and aimed it at them.

"What the…Peppy, what are you doing?!" Malice blurted out.

"Hey! I'm supposed to say that!" Marcus shouted.

"Which one of you is the real Marcus McCloud?!" Peppy barked.

"I AM!" Marcus and Malice said simultaneously

They angrily looked at each other.

"Shut up!" they yelled at each other. "No, YOU shut up!"

"Looks like I've gotta resort to the heavy artillery." Peppy said, stepping closer. "I'm going to ask the two of you a couple of questions…questions only the real Marcus can answer! First one to get one wrong gets curtains!"

"Oh, please don't let this be too hard! Everyone's lives are on the line!" Marcus thought.

"First," Peppy started. "How old were you when you founded the third Star Fox team?"

"Ten!" they both said.

"Correct. Second, what were your grandparents' names?"

"James and Vixy Reinard McCloud!"

Marcus started sweating. Malice was a perfect copy! He knew everything Marcus knew. He remembered everything he knew! And worst of all, he was using it against him! This could go on all night…

"Third, what is your favourite video game?"

…or not.

"That's easy!" Malice said. "It's…uh…let's see. Favourite video game is…umm…uhh, gimme a second here…"

"Oh, please!" Marcus said, rolling his eyes.

Peppy nodded, aimed the gun at Malice and pressed the tip to his chest.

BANG! The gun echoed as Peppy pulled the trigger.

The impact from the shotgun shells sent Malice flying into a wall. Marcus breathed a sigh of relief.

"How'd you know he wasn't me?" Marcus asked.

Peppy turned to Marcus and grinned.

"Everyone I know knows that Marcus James McCloud is Corneria's number one Guitar Hero."

"Wait a second…how did you know I played _Guitar Hero_?"

"Krystal put up a camera in your room so she could watch you play without going in."

"…You're just telling me this now?!"

Malice roared angrily and stood up. The chains extended again, and he swung one at Peppy.

"Look out!" Marcus screamed as he tackled Peppy out of the way and blocked the chain with his staff.

He streaked forward. His staff glowed.

"Go back to hell where you came from! And don't ever come back!"

Suddenly, Marcus shouted something in a foreign language.

"PFI AR HTU ROVPAB!"

Using the staff, Marcus knocked Malice over and, with the cry of a mighty falcon, slammed the staff down on him with an earthshaking force. The light that emitted from the staff enveloped Malice and tore his shadowy body to pieces. Over the mighty roaring of the beacon of light, Malice could be heard screaming "My empress! I've failed you!" as he disappeared into nothingness.

The light faded. Nothing was left. Malice had been vaporized.

Marcus panted, then sheathed his staff and said, "Sometimes the hardest battle is against yourself."

Peter and Peppy looked at the spot where Malice had been.

"Uh…what exactly did you do to him?" Peter asked.

"Hell, I don't know. But if it got rid of him, then I'm happy." Marcus replied.

"In any case," Peppy said. "The team explained everything. The army and I have decided to follow along with your plan."

"They also told you that I was framed, right?"

"Yep. They said you were on Titania at the time of the attack, so that…thing pretending to be you was the one that attacked the base. So, what do you say we get out of here?"

Marcus looked at Peter. He felt sorry for the 21-year old guy who had been imprisoned for being a hero. For the entire two, miserable days that Marcus had spent in prison, Peter had helped him along the way. He was proud to call him "friend".

"Yeah…but only if he comes with us." Marcus said, cocking his head at Peter.

Peppy looked at Peter.

"Who's he?"

"Peter Dengar. He's a friend. Trust me; we'll need all the help we can get.

Peppy thought it over for a few moments, then grinned and answered.

"Mr. Dengar, how'd you like to fly alongside the Star Fox team?"

**In a twisted region of space-time...**

"Damn!" Kursed shouted, her loud voice echoing throughout the twisting vortex. "Even Malice couldn't beat him!"

She groaned.

"Ugh. He's better than I thought."

She slammed her fist on her undead throne and stood.

"That does it, Marcus James McCloud! You've pushed me to my limit!"

Kursed's feet began to spout a strange black vapour.

"I don't care if I have to follow you to the edge of the galaxy, Marcus." she said. "I won't rest until your blood is flowing over me like a blanket! I'm gonna make you scream like a banshee!"

The gas intensified and shot her up out of Limbo in a caustic meteor, maniacally laughing the whole way.


	24. Family Ties

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

**Family Ties**

**Grand Cornerian Airway**

**Hours until doomsday: 5**

"You DO know how to drive a space fighter, right?" Marcus asked Peter as the Cornerian military came streaming into the airway. "I don't want you getting smacked around up there if you have no idea what you're doing."

"Of course, mate!" Peter replied. "How do you think I got to Macbeth and back in two days?"

Marcus smirked. He couldn't tell whether Peter was just bluffing or not, but he had no options left, so taking his word for it was his best bet.

About two hundred Cornerian soldiers came walking toward Marcus, Peppy, and the team. Peppy stepped up onto a podium. As soon as the soldiers saw him and the Star Fox team members standing there, their chattering stopped.

"Now obviously you're all wondering why you're here, so here are the facts." Peppy said to them. "At 200 local time two days ago, the Star Fox team uncovered an ancient relic that revealed that the soul of Andross' soul has somehow been transferred into the core of Corneria."

The soldiers started murmuring. Marcus could tell they were beginning to panic.

"We've also confirmed that his soul is severely affecting the planet's surface. If something is not done about it in a maximum five hours, the planet will self-destruct."

Even more murmuring, a few panics, and a lot of "Oh my God"s.

"However, the Star Fox team's technician, Chase Toad, has come up with a plan to prevent this apocalypse. Chase?"

Chase stepped forward and held out his pager. A giant diagram of Corneria appeared. A giant satellite appeared orbiting around it.

"As most of you know, the Beltino Orbital Gate orbits around the planet within a monthly basis. If I can use the warp link on the gate, I'll be able to open a wormhole leading to the planet's core. When the warp is open, a small number of fighters can be deployed through the warp to halt Andross' resurrection cycle before it finishes."

Anna came forward.

"But to unfortunate extremes, the Venomians have already caught wind of our plan and are advancing toward the gate as we speak. It is also clear that the warp can only be activated manually."

"….which makes us vulnerable." Peppy said. "Chase will link his Arwing to the gate and transfer the necessary data to open the wormhole, but it will take some time. We need all of you to keep the Venomians from damaging Chase's ship or the gate until the data transfer is complete."

Peppy looked around at the soldiers. They all stood up straight and had their arms to their sides. They were prepped for combat.

"This is do-or-die, time, soldiers. We can't fail now. The fate of our world is depending on you…all of you! Understood?!"

The soldiers, male and female, all saluted Peppy.

"SIR, YES, SIR!"

"LET'S MOVE OUT!"

The soldiers all broke off toward their ships. Peppy turned to the Star Fox team.

"I'm gonna be up there with you in my flagship." he said. "If this world's near to its end, I'm going to do whatever I can to stop it."

Falco smirked.

"You just never give in to your age, do you, gramps?" he asked.

Peppy chuckled.

"I guess retirement's just not in my books anymore. Besides, this old hare's still got some vigour left in his old bones."

Peppy jogged toward the large ship bearing the military symbol. Marcus turned to the team and nodded.

"Alright, gang!" he said. "Time to go up there and show 'em who's boss."

He put out his hand. Chase's put his hand on top, followed by Anna, then Falco, then Katt, then Damalgo. Marcus glanced at Peter, grinned, and cocked his head forward. Peter smiled and put his hand at the top of the heap. The seven broke.

"ROB, prepare the _Great Fox_ for take-off." Marcus said into his wrist comm.

"Confirmed." Rob replied.

"Let's do this!" Falco shouted.

Peter jumped into a spare military ship while the team ran underneath the _Great Fox_ and beamed up. The hundreds of military ships, Peppy's morphing flagship, the _Great Fox_, and the six Arwings (Damalgo had created one that he called the "_Bonesetter_", with a custom skeleton emblem painted on it) shot up into the atmosphere. Within in a minute, they could see the massive Beltino Orbital Gate floating slowly in an elliptical orbit around the planet.

"Your granddad built THAT?!" Peter asked.

"We Toads always had a knack for mechanics." Chase said with a smirk on his face.

Chase piloted his ship toward the satellite hook-up on the far side of the gate. He flipped a switch on his dashboard and extended two robotic arms from his ship, which then locked onto the hook-up.

"Data transfer's beginning." Chase said. "It should take about…"

"WARNING!WARNING!" ROB blared. "Venomian units detected!"

Sure enough, hundreds of Venomians units had appeared on the radar and were flying right towards the Cornerian Army's current location.

"Here we go again." Peppy grumbled.

Fifty of the enemy ships came streaking toward the gate, firing their lasers at full-auto.

"All ships, activate all-range mode." Marcus said.

The wings on every ship extended and shifted backward. Marcus swooped out of the way of a barrage of laser fire and rounded back after the fighters.

"Greyhound unit!" Peppy instructed. "Move forward to intercept the enemy! Retriever unit! Pull back and defend the gate!"

"Yes, sir!" shouted the Greyhound commander.

"Affirmative, General!" replied the Retriever commander.

One half of the Army U-turned back toward the gate. The rest of them shot out toward the incoming enemies.

"Let's show these punks how real men fight!" Falco shouted.

"What a time to be sexist, Falco." Anna said, raising one eyebrow.

"What else could I say?"

Peter boosted after a group of Venomians and laid his thumb down on the fire button. Lasers shot through the air and hit the enemy units with a powerful force. Right away, another enemy targeted him.

"Blast!" he growled. "I got some yak tailin' me!"

One of the few female Cornerian soldiers took notice of Peter's pursuer, locked on to it and shot it down with a charged shot.

Peter breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew! Bye-bye, bogey…"

He got a glimpse of his rescuer and immediately went gaga.

"And hellooo, lady!" he finished with a chuckle.

The soldier rolled her eyes.  
"There's time for that later." she said in a serious tone. "Keep an eye on your ass from now on."

With that, she darted back to assist the other soldiers. Peter frowned.

"Alright, fine. See if I care."

One of the younger soldiers was about to jet after another group of Venomians when his radar beeped. He got to a safe spot and then looked at it. A small dot had appeared on the south-western edge of the area and was heading right toward Marcus.

"Marcus!" he called. "Unidentified aircraft coming your way from the south side. Not a Venomian."

Peppy took a look at where the soldier had directed.

"Oh, no!" he moaned. "Star Wolf!"

As soon as Marcus heard "Star Wolf", he growled.

"That back-stabbing little bitch…"

"Did it have to be now?" Katt grumbled. "We're kinda booked already."

"Don't start whining. I'm on it." Marcus said.

He turned his ship toward the incoming vessel and flew toward it. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the person driving it was the absolute last person he wanted to see right then.

"Coyote, I told you SPECIFICALLY to stay out of my face!" Marcus yelled. "You better have a good reason for coming here!"

"I know you don't trust me, but I want to help!" Coyote said

"Pff! Yeah, right! You're just gonna pull off the same stunt you did two days ago! Don't you have better things to do than waste my time?!"

"If you mean help you save Corneria, then yes!"

Marcus didn't even begin to consider how she found out about that. She HAD helped him before (even though she stabbed him in the back later), and he was aware that she couldn't try anything sneaky right now with hundreds of Cornerian soldiers watching her.

"I don't even wanna know how you found out about that…but fine." he finally said.

"Thank you...so, are we friends again?"

"I said you could help. That doesn't mean I forgive you."

"...I'm sorry."

"It's too late for sorry. You had a choice, and you made the wrong decision. When this is over, you're going to leave and never come back."

Marcus didn't understand what Coyote had gone through to come help him, and now she knew he wouldn't listen. Hearing him talk to her like that made her want to fly away and start crying all over again, but she wasn't going to let millions of innocent people die. She'd do her part to help, whether Marcus liked it or not.

Coyote floored her ship's boost pedal and streaked after a group of enemies. Katt and Falco looped underneath the gate and blasted down three more enemies. Falco dropped, swerved to the left and looped over the enemy behind him.

"Aren't you finished that data transfer yet?!" he shouted.

"I'm working on it!" Chase replied. "This isn't as easy as it looks!"

"Oh, come on!" Katt said. "I bet I could do it faster than that!"

"Do you know how to hack past the firewall, hotwire the hard drive and reboot the system?"

"…never mind. Take your time. We're doin' fine."

Chase looked behind him. Three Venomian units were jetting right at him.

"Oh, crud! They're comin' right at me!"

Anna swooped in and hit the enemy swarm with a smart bomb.

"Phew! Thanks, Anne!"

"No problem, Chase." Anna replied coyly.

"Ooookaaaayyyyyy…what's wrong with just a quick 'You're welcome.'?"

Anna chuckled and rolled her eyes before swerving away again. Damalgo was still fresh with piloting, but already he had shot down three bogies before swooping between two lasers and taking down another one with a charged shot.

"Score one for the new home!" he cheered.

"Al, watch out!" Katt shouted. "There's one behind you!"

Damalgo hit the brakes. The Venomians crashed into him and went hurtling into another one. Since the Bonesetter was heavier than the other Arwings, it wasn't damaged too badly, but Damalgo was left a bit shaken.

"That wasn't right, was it?" he asked in a dazed voice.

"You're supposed to LOOP when they're on your tail!" Anna said.

"Gotcha. I'll get it next time."

Coyote noticed Anna and remembered what she had seen on the way back to Fortuna.

"I must be out of my mind." she thought.

She still took the chance. She swerved over to the _Punk Rock-It_ and flew alongside it. Anna took one look at Coyote and began glaring at her.

"What the hell do you want?"

"You're Anna Grey, right?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?"

"There's something I've gotta tell you."

"Now?!"

"Yes, now!"

"Uhh, you know we're in the middle of a WAR here?!" Falco said. "Could you save it 'til later?"

"No, Lombardi, I can't, so mind your Ps and Qs. Anna, your dad had a younger sister, right?"

"Uhh…yeah. I think her name was Lori…I've never met her, though. What's she got to do with this?" Anna replied.

"She's my mother."

Marcus shook his head in disbelief. What did she just say?!

"Wha…what are you…how is that…huh?!" Anna sputtered.

"She ran away to Fortuna to find Wolf O'Donnell, who you all know is my dad."

"Okay…where's this going?" Chase asked.

"I'll make it short and sweet: They went out for a while, got married, and had a kid: me. Since they're married, that means Bill Grey is my uncle, thus making Wolf YOUR uncle. If that's so, what does that make me?"

Anna's mouth dropped open.

"You're…my COUSIN?!" she shrieked.

Marcus was just as shocked.

"Holy s***."

Anna meekly slumped into her seat with her eyes wide and her mouth still agape. The most catastrophic thing in her young life had just happened today: the girl who tried to kill Marcus was blood-related to her. Even worse, the galaxy's most wanted criminal was her uncle!

"This isn't happening…this is just some crazy dream…" she muttered.

Peppy was thrown off slightly to hear that his own granddaughter was related to Wolf O'Donnell, but that didn't keep him from using his flagship's massive cannons to shoot down ten enemy ships at once.

"Putting the…err…'family reunion' aside," Katt spoke up. "Can we fasten our heads on and actually DO WHAT WE CAME TO DO?!"

Peter swerved over to the right and was about send a smart bomb careening into a pack of enemies when he saw an end flickering to the south.

"Uh, mates?" he said. "I think somethin' BIG is headed our way."

Falco had a look.

"Hang tight, everyone!" he said in an alert tone. "Looks like enemy reinforcements have arrived!"

A wormhole opened at the place where Peter had seen the flickering. A large starship slowly came out of the warp before shooting three robots as large as Arwings into the warzone. The robots themselves were armed with large laser rifles.

"Don't party just yet, scum!" a thick voice with a Brooklyn accent said from inside one of the robots.

"Oh, great!" Marcus growled sarcastically. "That's what we need! More damn robots!"

"I'm guessing you can't analyze their shields right now, can you, Chase?" Anna asked.

"Sadly, yes." Chase grumbled. "Looks like you're gonna have to just guess when the thing's getting…"  
"Got it." Damalgo suddenly said. "Shield gauges should be coming up right now."

Three energy bars appeared on Marcus' monitor. He was satisfied that SOMEONE knew what they were doing, but what was surprising about it was the fact that it had been Damalgo.

"Before you ask, ROB taught me how to do that." Damalgo said. "Trust me; it's not as hard as it looks."

Marcus was quick to notice a highlight on one of the energy bars.

"Uhh, why's this one highlighted?" he asked.

"The blue and yellow ones are actual robots. The highlighted one is the white one. That one's just a guy in a suit, but he has tougher armour."

"Alright! Let's take 'em down hard and fast!" Marcus ordered.

The yellow robot immediately spotted Chase connected to the gate and rocketed for him.

"Yellow one's comin' for me!" Chase yelled. "I need backup!"

Coyote and Marcus swooped in after the robot, but immediately got in sour moods when they saw each other.

"This one's mine, Mark." Coyote said.

"Like hell!" Marcus shouted. "I've got dibs!"

"I'm trying to help, and all of a sudden you won't let me?!"

"Don't try talking sense into ME, convict!"

"Convict?! I don't have a prison record!"  
"You will if you don't get your ass outta my way!"  
"Don't threaten me, or I'll claw you up like catnip!"

"With what? Your sour personality?"

"You son of a…"

"Hey!" Chase shouted. "Would you both just shut up and shoot that thing down already!"

Coyote and Marcus shook their cross moods out of their heads and zoomed after the robot. A loud beep came from inside Chase's ship. The robot was targeting him.

"He's kinda got a lock on me!" Chase screamed. "GET HIM BEFORE I GET SMOKED!"

Coyote fired a missile, and Marcus a smart bomb The two explosives slammed into the robot at full force and penetrated its metallic exoskeleton. It seemed to writhe around in suspension for a few moments before finally self-destructing.

"…good job, Mark." Coyote said, smiling slightly.

Marcus nearly smiled himself and congratulated her, too, but right away he remembered what she had done to him and got launched back into his sour mood.

"Bite me!" he snapped.

Coyote grew angry as well.

"Oh, goody." she said sarcastically. "You figured out the rest of my 'horrible scheme'. I'm so flattered."

"I oughta smack you upside the face, twerp!"

"Can't hit a girl, smart one!"

"Wanna bet, jailbait?!"

"Coffin jockey!"

"Filthy traitor!"

"Asshole!"

"DUMBASS!

"GOODY TWO-SHOES!"

"SATAN'S MISTRESS!"

That did it. Coyote's eyes filled with tears again, but this time out of total fury.

"Fine! See if I help you again, you jerk!" she shouted.

Coyote flew away to go help Anna. Marcus didn't feel even slightly sorry for what he had said.

"Serves ya right!" he shouted after her.

Just then, the blue robot dropped on top of the _Iron Maiden_ and began repeatedly pummelling it with its titanium fists. Coyote saw that her ship was rapidly taking heavy damage from the robot's heavy punches. She looked over and saw that Marcus was the only one who could get to her in time. Even though she knew he was still mad at her, she also knew that he couldn't turn his back on someone in need.

She did what she had to do: she called for help.

"Mark! Help me!" she screamed.

Marcus wanted to do no such thing aster calling her so many rude names, but then again she HAD been the only girl he ever kissed.

But she tried to kill him! ….But she saved him, too….AND she listened to him when he needed someone to talk to.

"Please!" Coyote screamed. "Please!"

He made his decision. He was willing to let it go just this once. He floored his boost pedal and shot toward the blue robot. He flew underneath the _Iron Maiden_, slammed the ejector seat button, and catapulted up into the cold, empty space. As he neared the robot, he pulled out his staff. He seized the cyborg's head in one hand and used the staff to impale it with the other. The robot was now aware that something was attacking it. It reached up and made a grab at Marcus, who retaliated by pulling the staff back, leaping off the ship, and hitting the robot with the staff's Hyper Beam.

The beam collided with the robot and sent it hurtling into the enemy starship, where it exploded into several small pieces. Marcus landed back in his Arwing, shut the cockpit, and took in three deep breathes. Performing that kind of stunt out in open space was extremely dangerous. The air was warmer than it was in the Solar System (because the Lylat System had two suns instead of one), but an average Cornerian couldn't survive for more than a minute without any kind of support.

Coyote was one to know that, too. He saved her yet again. This time, he probably didn't care, but he had still gone on the edge to do it. But before she could speak, he said his reply.

"Don't think this means you're off the hook."

Coyote's ears drooped.

"I know…but thanks, anyway."

Marcus looked away. He couldn't stand to look at her when she was sad. He was still furious with her, but at the same time, that fury was mixed with pity.

"I shouldn't have been so mean to her…" he thought before boosting away.

The white robot, which was about twice as big as the other two, began flying after Peppy.

"Alright, old man!" the pilot shouted. "Let's see how long it takes me to break that fragile spine of yours!"

Peppy noticed the robot flying toward him at high speed and began firing at it with his ship's plasma cannon. The robot swiftly dodged the shots and aimed his laser rifle at its target.

"Dagnab it!" Peppy growled. "I can't get away!"

Katt dropped out of nowhere and zoomed toward the robot.

"Not on my watch, you rotten fleabag!" she shouted.

She activated her Mach 4 convertor and pummelled through the robot's right hand, sending the deflector shield flying away from him.

"You cocky little freak!" the pilot shouted. "I'll teach ya to screw around with me!"

The robot swung its left fist at Katt. She dropped out of the way and swerved away from the robot just as it aimed its laser rifle at her.

"Whoa, nelly!" she said, using a quick barrel roll to deflect the robot's blast.

Falco and Peter swooped in and began firing at the robot.

"Pickin' on the old man." Falco said. "Tsk, tsk. How cruel of you."

"Back where I came from, harmin' a lady was still an offense." Peter said smirking. "Or has that already changed with you scumbags?"

The robot turned and began shooting at the approaching two.

"You little pukes want some of this?!" the pilot mocked.

"See, the thing is that asking for pain guarantees you're gonna get it." Falco said.

He and Peter locked onto the robot and each launched charged shots. The robot, however, batted them away as though they were feathers.

"Oh, snap!" Falco said as the robot fired at him again. "Those charged shots ain't workin'!"

The robot suddenly focused on Marcus and began flying after him.

"He's behind you, Mark!" Peppy shouted. "Do a loop!"

Marcus looped over the robot and hit the left arm with a smart bomb, sending the laser rifle flying away. The pilot growled.

"Damn! This ain't happenin'!"

Right then, the robot flew off toward the starship that had ejected it. The robot landed on a small platform at the top of the starship and generated two more guns; one a missile launcher, and the other a plasma cannon.

"I'll take you guys out from the ship!" the pilot bellowed.

It began firing at the Cornerian fleet. Marcus and a few of the Cornerian soldiers tried to get in closer, but right then, several turrets produced from the starship's sides and began endlessly firing.

"General, there's too much gunfire!" one of the soldiers said. "We can't get close."

"Alright, we'll beat this punk at his own game, then!" Peppy said. "Divert all power to your main guns!"

Marcus fiddled with a few levers until the main power source in his Arwing was linked to the cannons.

"Guns are set!" he called.

"FIRE!" Peppy shouted.

Every ship (including Peppy's ship and the _Great Fox_) fired powerful energy beams that tore through the starship like paper. When a large amount of them had hit the fuel reserve, the starship exploded, taking the robot with it.

"AaaaaaaaaAAAAHHHHH!" the pilot screamed.

When the massive explosion had cleared, the starship was just pieces of metal and debris floating around the air.

"ROB, anymore bogies out there?" Marcus asked.

"Negative." ROB replied. "Vicinity cleared of all Venomian units."

"Well, I'VE got some more good news for ya." Chase said. "The data transfer's finished."

"About bloody time!" Peter grumbled.

"Alright, buddy." Marcus said. "Activate the wormhole!"

Chase pressed a few buttons and began to remotely control the gate.

"Zypher Ring now expanding and relocating."

A large ring on the far side of the gate turned toward the planet and expanded.

"Main re-block disengaged."

The ring grew a small pair of crosshairs and focused down on a spot on the planet.

"Commencing energy exposure."

Three small probes flew out and locked onto the sides of the ring and sent three beams surging into the center.

"Expanding gate lens."

A large gun-like object turned toward the ring and shot a small beam through it. The beam itself surged down to the spot that the ring had locked onto. Chase's monitor beeped. He smiled.

"Gate creation successful. No malfunctions detected"

Marcus checked the time. The whole battle had eaten up one hour. They only had four hours left.

"Alright, team." he said. "Strap in and buckle down. We're heading in!"

Suddenly, an alarm from ROB's side of the comm blared loudly.

"CODE RED! CODE RED!" ROB blared. "Venomian fleet entering northern planet hemisphere at 45 degrees north, 30 degrees west! Attack commencing in T-minus two minutes!"

"Son of a bitch!" Falco shouted. "They're attacking the city!"

Marcus was even more shocked about what coordinates ROB had stated.

"No…" he whispered.

Without warning, Marcus slammed the boost pedal and began flying back to Corneria as fast as he could.

"Where the hell are you going?!" Katt shouted after him. "You can't go down there by yourself!"

"I have to!" Marcus shouted back.

"What?! Why?!" Anna called.

"THEY'RE GOING AFTER MOM AND DAD!"

_...well, that ain't good._

_Getting closer and closer to the end it looks like. I think I'll include a little surprise for you guys following Chapter 30...becaue I can, really. And for those of you who were surprised that Coyote and Anna are related...did it really come as that much of a surprise? Not to sound like a dick, but i did kinda make it blatantly obvious. Ah, whatever. What's done is done. See ya guys later!_


	25. The Rain Will Kill Us All

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

**The Rain will Kill us All**

**McCloud's House**

**Hours until doomsday: 4**

Fox sat outside on the first-floor balcony with a grim look on his face. He in such distraught that the last thing he wanted to think about was how in four hours, Corneria would be no more. From the way that the sky had grown dark and the way the wind had picked up, he knew that there wasn't much time left. He didn't even know whether Peppy had gotten Marcus out of jail or not.

At that moment, the glass door behind him slid open. He looked back. Krystal stood there in the doorway. He half-smiled at her, then regained his meek expression and looked back up at the stormy sky. Even her beautiful face could only cheer him up for a brief moment.

"What's the matter, Fox?" Krystal asked. "You've been sitting out here for almost a half hour."

Fox sighed.

"I don't think they're gonna make it in time." he sadly said. "What if we really are all gonna die?"

Krystal sat down next to her husband and hugged him.

"I know it seems like that, Fox, but don't worry. They'll make it. We just need to leave everything to Marcus. It's all we can do."

Fox looked at her. He had a big grin on his face.

"What?" Krystal asked as a smile started to stretch across her own face. "Come on, don't grin at me if there's no reason for it."

"I was just thinking about something…you remember when we first met?"

Krystal laughed. That had to be one of her fondest memories, considering it was the first one she and Fox had shared together.

"Only every day, hero."

**23 years earlier (_Yes, I know this isn't exactly what happened in Star Fox Adventures, but c'mon. That scene could have been way better.)_**

"What's going on?!" Fox screamed at the Krazoa Spirits. "You said this would save her!"

Fox had released the final Krazoa Spirit back into Krazoa Palace. From what the first Spirit her encountered had told him, if he brought the remaining ones to the palace, it would free Krystal from the life-absorbing prison that she motionlessly floated in.

But now, as the Spirits went shooting into her, it looked more like Fox had just made things worse.

The Spirits pummelled into Krystal, horribly wracking her body.

"NO!" Fox screamed as he ran forward.

As the last few Spirits collided with Krystal, her eyes snapped open and her body wracked once more as the Spirits shot out of her and into the gigantic statue in front of her. Suddenly, her prison shattered into pieces and she screamed as she went tumbling toward the hole below her.

Fox didn't need to be told even once. He sprinted forward, dove across the massive hole and caught Krystal in his arms. The two crashed on the other side of the hole and went rolling head over tail until Fox finally came to a stop with Krystal lying on top of him.

They both shook the stars out of their eyes before Fox perked up the nerve to speak.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a dazed voice.

Krystal looked at the strange being that had spoken to her. Whoever he was, he was not a Cerinian. Regardless of that, Krystal couldn't take her eyes off him. Never once in her life had she seen something like him. He had bright green eyes that had a look of pure sincerity in them. His fur was reddish-brown, and he was quite strong and muscular. He was quite handsome for an alien.

But the thing that turned her on the most about him was the fact that he just saved her life…but why did he look so familiar? She rolled off of him and continued to stare into his eyes.

"You…were in my dream." she said, finally pulling herself together. "What…who are you?"

Fox was speechless for a few seconds before finally replying.

"I'm Fox McCloud."

Fox was expecting her to be overcome with gratitude…maybe lunge at him and kiss him almost hysterically, or at least say "Thank you", but instead, she started stammering again.

"W-Why did you save me?!" she asked. "You didn't even know who I was! I…I could have been evil for all you know!"

Fox smirked.

"First off, I know exactly who you are. The CloudRunner told me that your name was Krystal. Second, I can give you two good reasons why I saved you. One: those Spirits are working to put the planet back together. Two: I'm not one to turn down someone in need. Besides, you don't look evil to me."

"Huh? Why do you say that?" Krystal asked in a confused tone.

Fox shrugged.

"I dunno. I just don't think someone with your looks can be evil."

Krystal blushed slightly when he said this, but then a small grin stretched across her face before she giggled.

"Well, thank you, Fox McCloud. I am eternally grateful."

**In the present...**

"That wasn't much of a conversation, but hey! Look at us now!" Fox said with a grin on his face.

Krystal laughed.

"Yes. We've come a long way since then."

The two kissed each other.

"But…tell you the truth, I'm a little worried about Marcus. I'm just scared that Andross might be too strong for him."

"Don't worry." Fox said, gently squeezing her shoulder. "He's smarter and tougher than either of us ever could be. And as long as he has our love as his parents, he'll never fail."

They held each other's hand and looked up at the sky once again. Suddenly, Krystal saw something. She squinted at the strange flash in the air.

"What's that?"

Fox looked to where Krystal had seen the object and squinted at the object. It was too far away to make out much of its form, but as soon as it got close enough, its features were visible. Fox's eyes widened in horror.

It was a fleet of Venomians fighters! And they were headed right at them!

"Get down!" Fox screamed, pushing Krystal down to the floor before dropping down himself.

The enemy ships shot a metal rafter underneath the balcony. It gave way and Fox and Krystal yelled out in terror as the balcony violently shook.

At the city one thousand feet below, however, things were even worse! Every Cornerian was screaming and running for their lives. The Venomian ships overhead launched bombs through almost everything they came across; buildings, streets, monuments…everything! Another half of the Venomian troops ejected from their ships and began firing at everything that moved. No matter how far the Cornerians ran, they couldn't escape what seemed like their eminent doom.

Suddenly, the Star Fox team and Coyote dropped into the atmosphere and blasted the ground on which the evil soldiers stood. Every single one of them was fuming with rage from what the Venomians were doing, and none of them were going to stand by and watch the horrible scene play out.

"These bastards are just plain sick!" Chase shouted. "I can't believe they'd do something like this!"  
"If I ever see something like this happen again," Falco growled. "I'm gonna grab the neck of the first Venomian I see and wring it so hard it'll make his ancestors choke!"

"Why…why are they so cruel? Why are they doing this to us?" Anna asked faintly. "We never did anything to them!"

"That doesn't matter anymore!" Coyote said angrily. "They're not gonna get away with this!"

Marcus didn't participate in or even pay attention to the bickering going on between his teammates (and Coyote). He was too focused on getting to his house and seeing if his parents were still alright.

Katt noticed his seriousness and spoke up.

"Mark! Get to Fox and Krystal! We'll take care of these apes!"

Marcus looked at Katt and hesitantly nodded. He didn't want to leave his team in the thick of things, but he had to get to Fox and Krystal before the Venomians found them.

"Okay. If I'm not back in ten minutes, don't wait up for me." he said.

Katt nodded in response.

"Gotcha. Now go!"

Marcus slammed on the boost pedal and rocketed off toward the cliff where his house was perched. Within seconds, he could see it on the horizon. He engaged the landing sequence and the _Arwing III_ landed perfectly on the driveway.

He opened the cockpit, jumped out, ran toward the front door and kicked it wide open. The house seemed perfectly intact, except that the back door had been blown off its hinges. Fox and Krystal weren't in the front hall. Marcus ran into the living room. Not in there, either. He ran into the kitchen. Not there.

Maybe they were upstairs.

"Mom?! Dad?!" he called into the empty house.

Out on the balcony, Fox and Krystal slowly got to their feet. The Venomian ships that attacked the house had headed down into the city to see what was going on.

"Is…is it over?" Krystal stammered.

For a moment, it seemed like it was…but then, the unthinkable happened: the balcony gave way. A piece of the metal platform broke off from the rest of the house and plummeted to the ground far below. Fox and Krystal slipped just as Fox grabbed the edge of what remained of the balcony with one hand and seized Krystal's hand with the other. They both clung on for dear life and watched in terror as another crack on the balcony began to form near them.

Marcus meanwhile had heard the deafening crack and turned his head to the source. He looked out the back window and could see his father just barely holding on to the edge.

"MOM! DAD!" he screamed, breaking into a sprint toward them.

Fox looked up when he heard Marcus shout, and breathed when he saw him running toward him as fast as he could.

"He made it…"

"Don't let go!" Marcus shouted as he came closer. "I can't do this without you guys!"

The crack widened and drew closer to Fox and Krystal. Fox looked down at his wife, who had tears forming in her eyes. As he looked back at Marcus, he could feel his eyes growing moist. Marcus saw the huge crack, too. It only made him run faster.

"I'm sorry, son." Fox called with a small, melancholy grin of his face.

The balcony cracked even more. Taking one last chance, Marcus took a flying leap towards Fox.

"NOOOO!"

The final piece gave way just as Marcus hit the ground. Fox and Krystal fell with it. Marcus watched teary-eyed as his parents fell away from him, 1000 feet to the ground.

He was too late…they were gone. They'd never survive that fall.

He slammed the balcony with his fists, reared back his head, and angrily screamed into the sky. He didn't care who heard it. He didn't care how long he'd have to scream to make himself heard. He just wanted everyone to know that he had no parents anymore because of the Venomians.

When he had finished pointlessly screaming at the stormy clouds above, he buried his face in his hands and burst into tears. He was crying over the loss of his parents, but also crying out of fury at himself for not being able to save them.

Thunder echoed across the sky and rain began to fall. It seemed like God Himself was mourning for the deceased parents of Marcus James McCloud. They were gone…and he'd never see them again.

Marcus' ears pricked up as he heard a ship coming toward him, but he didn't look up from his hands as the _Iron Maiden_ landed on what remained of the balcony. Coyote opened the cockpit and hopped out. She had seen what had happened, and as she watched Marcus break down and cry, she couldn't help but feel his pain. She slowly walked up to him and laid her hand on his shoulder.

Marcus turned and looked at her, with tears still streaming from his hazel eyes. He sniffled and stood up. Coyote had a very sympathetic look on her face…one that she almost never wore.

"I…I'm so sorry." she said. "Really, I am."

Marcus started sniffling as the tears began to fall again.

"C'mere." she said, stretching out her arms.

Normally, Marcus would have turned her away on the spot, but he was so grieved that now he didn't care. He stepped into her arms and let her wrap them around his shoulders. He really needed this hug. He had lost the most important thing in his life. A hug was the least anyone could do for him.

"It's okay, Mark." Coyote said.

"No!" Marcus said between each sob. "It's not okay! My parents are dead…I could have saved them…what am I gonna do?"

"Hands up, scum!" a Venomian soldier barked.

Marcus looked up from Coyote's warm embrace to see five Venomian soldiers pointing their guns at them.

"I said hands up!" the soldier shouted again.

The grief washed away in a flood of anger. Marcus couldn't see it, but as his rage quickly flared up, his eyes turned blood red. Suddenly without warning, he reached into Coyote's holsters, yanked out her auto pistols, broke free of her grasp and held down the triggers on both guns. The bullets ripped through the air and shot through the soldiers, either knocking them to the ground or throwing them against the wall.

Coyote was thrown off by Marcus' sudden mood change, and when he turned his face and showed his fiery eyes, she stood there in shock.

"Mark, calm down!" she said, seizing his wrist. "We've gotta get back to the others and head after Andross!"

Marcus growled and pulled his arm away from her. Then he spoke to her in a coarse voice that sounded like he had turned into a demon.

"Don't you realize what they've done?!" he shouted. "Thanks to these black-hearted apes, my parents are dead…NOW THEY"RE ALL GONNA PAY!"

Marcus took a superhuman leap off the balcony and glided in the air for at least a mile until he landed heavily on the barren landscape outside of the city. A Venomian soldier holding an AK-47 quickly took notice of Marcus and trained his gun on him. Marcus himself streaked forward and delivered a heavy punch to the soldier's face before wrenching the gun out of his hands and hitting him with the butt of it.

Several more Venomians soldiers ran at Marcus and began blaring their guns at him. He ducked, cartwheeled, and flipped over, under and between the bullets, then aimed the gun he now held and blasted them all in the head.

Marcus ran through the piles of the dead Venomians' bodies and blared his gun at the enemy ships high in the sky. The lead bullets crashed through the ships' windshields and hit the pilots. Without someone to drive them, the ships came careening to the ground.

Two more Venomians came at him. One of them threw a grenade at him. Marcus retaliated by grabbing the grenade in mid-air, seizing its thrower's collarbone and throwing him to the side before throwing the grenade at him. The other Venomian was about to draw a knife when Marcus jumped on him and snapped his neck.

While his physical being seethed with unstoppable rage, Marcus couldn't help but think about how what he was doing was normally unthinkable in his book. He was RUTHLESSLY murdering Venomian soldiers. He wasn't one to kill Venomians for revenge, and now was certainly not the time for battling them (The planet's time was slowly running out), but his rage was so intense that he no longer had any control over it.

He pulled a knife from the pocket of the Venomian he had just killed and flung it into the chest of another one, then shot two more and strangled the one that swung his fist at him.

But right when Marcus was about to run for a group of Venomians that were exiting the city, his brain felt like it had caught fire and his limbs went numb.

Marcus screamed, grabbed his head, and fell down to his knees. He knew that feeling all too well. In seconds, the evil bitch would be in his head again.

And sure enough, right then she spoke.

"Yes, Marcus, that's right." she scoffed. "Let you hatred and fury wash over you. Can you feel the power of sin flowing through your body? It feels good, doesn't it?"

Marcus looked up. His eyesight had gone horribly red and seemed to be pulsating. He could see Kursed slowly coming toward him with her frighteningly demonic eyes flashing.

"Go away! Get away from me!" he screamed. "I'm not like you!"

"Are you sure about that? Just look around you. You've murdered countless Venomians just because they brought your parents to the death. If they had any blood at all, your hands would be soaked!"

Any blood at all? What was she talking about?

"I can feel your anger." Kursed said with an evil smirk on her face. "It gives you the focus that makes all beings strong. Soon enough, that mighty power will be mine once again."

"Dream on, Scary Godmother!" Marcus yelled back. "I'm not just gonna lay down and die if that's what you were hoping for!"

"I never said you had to die. You just have to give up. After all, who is left to cheer you on? Your parents are gone, and you can't take one look at poor little Coyote without insulting her!"

His parents…Marcus had been so consumed by his rage that he hadn't even considering grieving over his parents. Knowing that just made him even angrier.

"If it hadn't have been for Malice, I could've gotten Mom and Dad to safety…and if it hadn't have been for you, Malice wouldn't even have existed."

Kursed crossed her arms and smirked.

"Go on. Say it."

Marcus gritted his teeth and looked up at Kursed, who was now standing right in front of him.

"My parents are dead…AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

He stood up and swung his fist at Kursed's head. Right as his hand was about to slam into her, she vanished. Without warning, a burning sensation licked across his whole body. He fell down again and screamed as it slowly got worse.

"Know your place, Marcus." Kursed mocked. "You couldn't best me even if you were as strong as the devil himself."

Just then, Marcus remembered something that his mother had said to him long ago when he was afraid of ghosts. She had said that if he thought that a ghost was in his room, all he had to do was say a few words that she taught to him. The next time he thought he heard a ghost, he said the words and felt much better.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but he decided that now was the time to utter those gibberish words that Krystal had taught him.

"Gcyfyh nusabu! Toebh zu ba zafu! Nopw ha htu onlhh rfaz ktypt lai pozu!"

Marcus originally thought that it was some kind of lullaby because Krystal mixed it with a song that she used to sing to him, but seeing the way Kursed was reacting to it, apparently it was more than just that.

Kursed had suddenly gasped as soon as Marcus finished the first sentence.

"I-impossible! How did you know the Seal of Spirits?!"

"Seal of Spirits?" Marcus thought. "THAT'S what it was?!"

The burning stopped as a loud rushing noise went through the air. Kursed growled. Marcus' vision was flashing from black to blue to white and finally back to normal.

"This isn't over, Marcus! Not by a longshot!" she shouted, her voice slowly growing fainter. "You win for now, but I'll be back someday!"

The voice stopped. Marcus had concluded something after he had uttered the so-called "Seal of Spirits." When he had shouted something like it when he finished of Malice, his staff's power had grown to exponential heights. If he could make things happen by speaking that way, then the only possible conclusion was that he had spoken in Cerinian, his mother's foreign language.

The strange thing was that other than the Seal of Spirits, Krystal never taught a word of Cerinian to Marcus simply because there was no need to. So why did he know so much of it?

Marcus shook these thoughts out of his head and got to his feet. Almost immediately, dozens of Venomians surrounded him and trained their guns on him. He raised his gun and pulled the trigger. All that came out was a loud click.

It was empty! Right when he really NEEDED to use it!

"How inconvenient." he muttered as he dropped the gun and raised his hands over his head.

Suddenly, the _Sky Claw_ came barrelling down from the sky. Falco ejected from the ship and fired off the Gatling gun in his hand. The Venomians surrounding Marcus all went sprawling to the ground as the lead rain came down on them. About a hundred more came running toward them. The other six pilots ejected from their ships. Katt landed with a laser rifle, Chase with a shotgun, Anna with a sniper rifle, Coyote with her auto pistols, Damalgo with an M-16, and Peter with a grenade launcher.

Marcus lowered his hands, meekly grinned and pulled out his staff.

"You guys are the best." he said.

Everyone aimed their weapons forward at the oncoming group of Venomians.

"FIRE!" Marcus shouted.

Bullets, lasers, grenades, and the Hyper Beam went flying into the Venomians at full force. The impact sent out enough dust to hinder their sight for a few moments, but when it cleared, all the evil soldiers lay dead on the ground.

"How's the situation in the city?" asked Coyote. "Did everyone get away alright?"

"Yeah, they made it. We made sure of that." Anna replied. "It's a miracle no one got killed."

If only she knew…

Marcus felt sad for the loss of his parents (and he normally wasn't one to brood), but he also felt guilty for ruthlessly brining hundreds of Venomians to their deaths. Did killing people for revenge make him a sinner? It certainly got Kursed riled up at him. But what did she mean by "If they had any blood at all"? Either way, Marcus fell to his knees and looked down at his hands. Now he knew what a murderer felt like after he realized that he isn't loved anymore.

Marcus' classic boast was now different: He could cheer anyone up in the blink of an eye…

… anyone but himself.

Falco saw Marcus on his knees and ran to his side, thinking that he nearly passed out.

"Mark, what's wrong?"

Marcus didn't look up.

"They're dead…I couldn't save them." he muttered sadly.

"What are you talking about? Who's dead?"

"Mom and Dad…they…they fell off the balcony."

Falco helped Marcus to his feet.

"Mark...I'm so sorry." he said.

"It doesn't matter. No matter how many times any one says they're sorry…and no matter how much I brood or cry…they're not coming back."

Marcus looked up from the ground. He was just going to have to suck it up and finish what they started.

"It's time to end this once and for all." he said.

The wormhole was only 300 yards away from where they were standing. Marcus remotely called his ship.

"Everyone stay back. I'll handle this myself." he said as he began walking toward his ship.

"Whoa, no way!" Falco said sternly, stepping in front of Marcus. "You're not going down there by yourself. I promised Fox that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, and I ain't gonna break that promise now!"

Falco sounded like a responsible parent. He didn't even have children, yet he was willing to raise Marcus as his own if necessary.

"I'm coming, too!" Chase said. "You're my best friend! If you think that I'm just gonna stand back on the sidelines and watch you get your ass handed to you, you've got another thing coming!"

"And me!" Peter said. "I owe ya for gettin' me out of the hole. No matter what happens, I'm gonna stay with ya until I've paid you back, mate!"

Marcus smiled.

"These guys really are the best friends a guy could have." he thought.

"Alright. Katt, Anne and Al, you guys stay put here. We might need reinforcements."

The three nodded. Falco, Chase and Peter ran toward their ships. Marcus was about to run to his when Coyote grabbed his hand.

"Wait! What about me?" she asked.

Marcus looked at her and sneered.

"Allow me to answer that with a question of my own: What the hell are you still doing here?"

"You know perfectly well why I'm here! I'm helping you!"

Marcus yanked his hand away.

"I don't need your help anymore! Go back home, and don't ever let me catch you sneaking around here ever…"

Before Marcus could finish his sentence, Coyote cut him off. She had stood there and listened to him insult her for long enough. Now she was fed up.

"You know what?! All I'm trying to do is help you! But now it's all suddenly all about you! You're too stubborn to listen to at least one word I say! Well now it's my turn! So you just shut the f*** up and listen to me!"

Marcus kept his mouth shut. He had no idea what Coyote had to say to him, but after hearing her drop the F-bomb, he didn't want to interrupt, fearing that she'd break his jaw if he did.

"I can't go home because I don't have a home to go back to anymore! Two days ago, I told my dad that I helped you on Sauria and he blew his top. He couldn't accept my decision...in fact, he was just about to send me after you again, so I ran away!"

Marcus shook his head in disbelief. She ran away?! Was she really that caring of him?

"But…why?" he asked.

"Because…I wanted to help you. I intercepted a transmission and figured out about the whole apocalypse thing. Right when that happened, I decided to do whatever I could to help. I'm not a bad person, Mark. I just don't have any self-esteem."

"…you finally said no to him." Marcus said.

Coyote sniffed and nodded. Her eyes were rapidly getting watery.

"Please…stop rejecting me. My father rejected me and…just look where I am now. I'm not the devil or anything. I'm just a stupid girl. I'm not nearly as brave or strong as you, and I'm not afraid to admit that. And I'm not lying when I say that…I'm scared for you…please forgive me."

Marcus felt so guilty. He had hurt this poor girl so much that now she was on the verge of tears. He felt his heart soften, and before he knew it, he was smiling.

"Hey, no tears, alright? You can stay if you sure you want to."

The tears disappeared. Coyote looked very alert now.

"Are you sure we shouldn't go with you?"

"I'm sure. I don't want you to get hurt."

"But…will you make it back?"

Marcus felt meek. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know if they'd make it back or not. As soon as they went through that hole, they weren't going back until Andross was dead.

"Maybe…but then again, maybe not. You know what they say: a good captain goes down with his ship."

Coyote got a worried look on her face. She didn't want Marcus to die. He still had so much left to live for.

"Then don't be a good captain."

She grabbed his jacket and pulled him against her.

"Just be you."

Marcus wasn't prepared for what happened next. Coyote had pressed her lips to his mouth and was now holding him in a passionate embrace that felt like a motherly hug. This whole time, she had just been trying to please everyone, and she ended up not pleasing anyone at all. She wasn't evil. She had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. All she wanted was to find her place in the world.

Whatever the case, Marcus was enjoying every waking moment of her expression of love. He never wanted it to end. If he had a choice, he'd stay there in her arms forever. But he had a demented ape to assassinate. Nothing would stop him from doing it.

Coyote broke away. Marcus gently touched her face and sighed.

"Goodbye, Coyote." he said. "…I forgive you."

"Quit pissin' around and get going!" Katt shouted from a few dozen yards away.

Marcus jumped inside his ship, closed the cockpit, and ignited the engines.

"OK, boys." Marcus said as the four ships rose off the ground. "Let's take it to 'em!"

The four ships zoomed off toward the wormhole. As they rocketed away, Coyote felt at her lips with her fingers. She could still feel Marcus' warm breath. She wanted to feel it again.

She closed her eyes.

"Don't die, Mark." she whispered.

The four ships looped up, then back down into the wormhole. With that, their descent into the core had begun.


	26. To Hell and Back

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

**To Hell and Back**

**Corneria: Mantle, 750 feet below sea level**

**Hours until doomsday: 2**

The walls of the wormhole were lined with molecularly distorted stone and fire. As Marcus, Falco, Chase and Peter piloted their ships down into the fiery abyss, they could only anxiously think about what they might be put up against. In truth, only Falco had actually seen Andross, but no one had ever asked him what the mad doctor looked like, so he never said anything about it. No one was sure he ever wanted to, anyway.

Marcus, in particular, was more eager than anyone else to see Andross. They'd never met, but he already had a grudge against the fell being. He knew that he lost both his grandmother and grandfather because of Andross. He now knew only one thing: the bastard had to die.

"This is it, huh?" Falco spoke up. "The big finish."

"I guess so." Marcus grumbled. Only small words could escape his mouth since he was too focused on getting to Andross.

"We're about 900 metres below sea level now." Chase said. "It's gonna be awhile before we reach the core."

"So how far down is the ninth circle of hell?" Peter asked.

"Well, we're about a mile below the ocean. The ocean itself is 30,000 metres deep, and the mantle is another 10,000. I'm no geographer…that's Anna…but I'd say we're looking at about 40 miles straight down."

Falco smirked.

"Weird. I didn't know the devil lived forty miles underwater." he remarked sarcastically. "You learn somethin' new every day."

Marcus' radar beeped. He growled.

"Damn fleabags are following us!" he grumbled.

Just as Marcus had said, an enormous fleet of Venomians fighters was coming right at them from about fifty feet back. Each one of the fighters appeared to have much tougher hulls than the ones they had seen before.

"I guess we kinda saw that comin'." Falco growled. "But did it really have to be when we're so close to the finish line?"

"You scumbags dared to come this far," one of the Venomians growled. "but we'll make sure you never reach Emperor Andross!"

"Your 'emperor' can kiss my ass!" Peter scoffed.

"Everyone loop! Now!" Marcus shouted.

The boys all pulled up on their steering controls and looped behind the enemy fleet.

"They're not gonna stop us now! Give 'em everything you've got!" Marcus ordered.

Chase and Falco swerved to the left, while Marcus and Peter went right. When the enemy units were in their sights, they all slammed down their fire buttons. The lasers from their cannons rocketed down and sent a few of the ships crashing into the flaming wall.

Suddenly, the path stopped in what appeared to be a dead end.

"There's no way out of here!" Falco shouted.

Marcus looked to the left. Another path dug into the wall next to them.

"This way!" he called, piloting his ship into the new path.

Peter, Chase and Falco followed him.

"I thought you said the path went straight down!" Peter shouted.

"Looks like Andross was planning ahead!" Chase replied. "His presence is distorting the path."

"Great." Marcus grumbled. "Another futile attempt to keep the inevitable at bay. These bastards are all the same…"

The tunnel began to arch down again. More Venomians shot up toward them. A small group locked on to Peter.

"Err, mates?" he called. "I'm in a bit of a wrinkle here!"

Chase boosted down and hit the fleet of bogies with a single charged shot.

"Phew! Thanks for the help, Chase. I owe you one." Peter said.

"Let me know if you need any more help and I'll drop by."

"Nah, I'll be fine. But sheesh! These dingoes pack quite a bloody wallop!"

The tunnel was now beginning to narrow. As the four ships started down the narrowest path, the other end of the tunnel started to close.

"You're gonna block us at any cost, is that it, Andross?!" Falco growled.

"Everyone speed up or were toast!" Marcus hollered.

The four ships shot through the narrow gap just as it closed behind them.

"Man, talk about a close call!" Peter

"I swear to God, the more this guy makes us work, the more pissed off I get." Chase grumbled.

"Hey, it ain't like you'd be the first, frog boy." Falco said.

The tunnel went up and to the left. When the four ships entered the next passage, several floating turrets targeted them and blasted a multitude of mercury rings.

"At this rate we'll never get to the core in time." Falco muttered as he barrel-rolled out of the way. "I'm getting more murderous by the second!"

"Looks who's talkin'." Marcus thought angrily.

He didn't mean to think like he didn't care what his teammates thought, even though they weren't psychic and couldn't tell what he was thinking, anyway. He was just so frustrated about how difficult everything was becoming.

He sucked in a puff of breath and exhaled. He couldn't go in there guns blaring and expect to immediately bring Andross crashing down. He needed to have at least a little snippet of patience if he expected to win.

Just as Marcus' thoughts started to plummet back to his brain from the clouds, a transparent gate began constructing itself over the other end of the tunnel. The four slammed on the boost and shot through the small space at the last possible second and curved downward.

All of a sudden, Marcus felt beads of sweat begin to form on his forehead.

"It's getting hot in here!" he panted.

"We're getting close to the core!" Chase said. "Activating heat diffusers…NOW!"

A rush of cool air went through the innards of Marcus' Arwing. He stopped sweating.

"Wait, wait, hang a second!" Falco spoke up. "When did you make those?!"

"A little ways back in November."

"So why in the hell were we two seconds from melting on Solar?!"

"I wanted to make sure I got all the bugs out of the system!"

More Venomians swerved up out the pit and streaked toward them. Marcus shot down two with relative ease.

"These attacks are getting intense!" Marcus said. "It really shows how far we've come, doesn't it?"

"Phew, you're tellin' me!" Peter said. "These yaks are gettin' to be quite a handful, eh?"

"Mark! Falco's being tailed!" Chase hollered

Falco swerved ahead with about five bogies firing heavily at him all at once.

"I remember when SLIPPY used to be the lackey for these punks!" he growled.

Marcus locked on to Falco's pursuers and fired multiple charged shots at them after flipping on the Multi-Lock. Without a doubt the evil apes went careening back down into the abyss.

"Phew! Thanks, buddy!" Falco breathed.

The four ships swerved right. Just as the rounded the corner, a robot resembling the prototype they had seen on Titania stormed in front of them. This one, however, was slightly larger and had multiple turrets jutting out from its joints.

"More robots?!" Marcus growled. "TRY SOMETHING NEW FOR ONCE!"

Marcus immediately began firing his guns at the robot, but it took no effect. The robot returned the favour by firing a powerful laser beam from a gun that appeared from its back. After Marcus had swerved out of the way of the cyborg's primary attack, it followed up by firing its multiple turrets at the intruder.

Suddenly, Falco swerved in front again.

"Mark! Use this!" he said.

The bomb storage on the back of Falco's ship opened and dropped a smart bomb. Marcus opened his own storage and pulled the bomb in.

"THAT makes us even!" Falco said. "Now blow that thing and let's keep movin'!"

Marcus smirked and locked onto the robot.

"Next time, play to win, not to get even." he said to Falco.

He slammed the red button over his head. The bomb crashed into the probe and detonated it.

"It's away!" Marcus cheered.

Chase checked his monitor. They were now just five miles from the core. The walls of the tunnel were starting to glow with heat.

Suddenly, his radar blipped.

"Got something on radar!" he called. "Dead ahead and coming this way."

Marcus could sense the disturbance as well. They had no chance of sneaking up on him even if they had radar jammers.

In the blink of an eye, three ships appeared out of thin air.

"A stealth squadron!" Marcus shouted. "Keep your guard up, team!"

Falco and Peter swerved off to the left, avoided the projectiles from the westernmost stealth ship, and began pelting it with charged shots. It fell to pieces in a large explosion. When Peter tried to aim for the center ship, it dodged his lasers and returned fire.

"They're quick! Be careful, mates!" Peter said as the other two enemy units started rapidly swerving around in the narrowing tunnel.

Marcus swerved after them and rapidly fired his cannons off. After several missed shots, he got fed up and flipped on the Mach 4 convertor. His Arwing shot through the two stealth fighters. He flipped the convertor off and hit the brakes let the others catch up to him.

The tunnel began to narrow out as the turned downward again. Several rotating fans were ahead of them.

"This could be a problem…" Falco muttered.

"You're gonna get hit!" Chase shouted to Marcus. "Hit the brakes!"

Everyone slammed on their brakes. Their Arwings slowed down and avoided slamming into the rotating part of the fan. When the space was clear, they released the brake and boosted through, avoiding shots from another turret precariously positioned behind one of the fans. The tunnel narrowed out even more, forcing the team to line up one after the other to get through.

Suddenly, another metallic gate started closing over the tunnel.

"Oh, for the love of God, what can this freak-show NOT do?!" Chase growled angrily.

"Everyone boost on my mark!" Marcus shouted.

He boosted out of the tunnel.

"Chase, NOW!"

Chase hit the boost and shot through the gate.

"Falco, NOW!"

Falco hit his boost and shot through.

"Pete, NOW!"

Finally. Peter shot through just as the gate closed. The four ships proceeded down the widest tunnel yet.

"Hey, check it out!" Falco called, pointing forward.

About 500 or so feet below them, there appeared to be an opening that seemed to be absolutely radiating with heat. They were flying straight for it.

"Looks like we're gettin' close to the grand finale, boys." Peter said.

"Oh, hell yeah." Chase said. "The gruelling exploits of this war are finally coming to an end."

"For the army, Al, the girls and everyone else…we've gotta wrap this up once ad for all." Falco said.

"…I WILL avenge my parents! We can't give up now!" Marcus shouted.

Falco heard a crackling noise, and looked behind his Arwing. A gigantic wall of flames was rushing straight at them.

"What the f…Mark! We got another trap!" he shouted.

"I see it! Alright, boys! Let's hit the Big Cheese where it hurts!" Marcus ordered. "Mach 4 convertors on!"

The four ships shot forward at supersonic speed, down to the planet's own ninth circle of hell.

**Several moments later...**

The four ships easily cruised down the craggy tunnel toward the planet core.

Suddenly without warning, the ships went shooting toward a gigantic pool of lava!

"OH CRAP!" they all screamed.

They slammed on their brakes and swerved up away from the searing liquid.

"Oh, good God!" Peter panted, patting his chest. "I could swear my heart stopped for a second there!"

Marcus smirked.

"Wouldn't that be humiliating. The boys of Star Fox finished by a…WHAT THE HELL?!"

Marcus' eyes went wide when he stared in utter shock at the hideous being that floated in front of them.

"Is that…" he started.

"Andross?" Chase finished.

The creature had to be one of the most disturbing things any of them had ever seen. It was nothing more than a gigantic brain with two huge worm-like eyes attached to a pulsating green frontal lobe. Beneath it trailed several long, slimy tentacles. The creature itself had strange mechanisms attached to it that were generating electrical beams connecting to the chamber wall.

"Okay, I've SEEN Andross, and I don't remember him looking like that at all!" Falco said.

"Crikey! He's one ugly yak, ain't he?" Peter said.

Suddenly, the brain spoke.

"RESTORED…I'LL BE…RESTORED…"

"What's he saying?!" Marcus blurted.

"He'll be restored…if he's saying that, it must mean that he knows he's not technically alive yet."

Falco smirked.

"Guess the giant brain's all air and no brain in its own right."

"His eyes are focusing on us, but's almost like he doesn't even know we're here." Marcus said. "I don't get it! Why does he look like this?!"

"His resurrection cycle isn't complete yet. He still needs to regenerate his skin and the rest of his organs." Chase concluded

"Thank God or we'd all be goners."

Suddenly, the chamber violently shook.

"I'll go out on a limb here and say that we're in trouble." Falco grumbled.

"Those machines attached to him are draining energy from the planet structure!" Chase hollered. "We've only got an hour left!"

"GO AWAY." Andross mindlessly said in a monotone voice. "LEAVE ME ALONE."

"Okay, maybe he's not COMPLETELY stupid." Falco said.

"Alright, boys!" Marcus barked. "Time to face the magic! Activating all-range mode!"

The wings on the four ships extended. They split up and flew in circles around Andross.

"Time to give Andross his present!" Marcus said sternly.

"I WILL…BE RESTORED….YOU CAN NOT…STOP ME." the giant brain bellowed.

The worm-like eyes snaked toward them. Two fleshy cords (each appearing to be electrically charged) kept them attached to the frontal lobe.

"This is just a guess, mind you, but I think that green part is his weak point." Peter said.

"Most likely, yes." Chase replied. "That's his frontal lobe. But we can't hit it with those nervous strands attached to it. Maybe if we shoot the eyes down first, the strands will go with them."

"Okay, first thing's first: destroy the eyes!" Marcus ordered.

"KILL…ALL ENEMIES." Andross hollered.

"Riiiight…" Falco trailed out

Marcus U-turned and dove after the left eye. When he came near it, it fired multiple laser beams at him. He was quick to swerve out of the way. When he returned fire, the eye squirmed away and searched for a new target.

"Feisty little bitch, aren't ya?" Marcus growled as he gave chase.

The other eye swerved around and streaked toward Chase.

"C'mon, you little bugger! Catch me if ya can!" he mocked.

Chase slammed on the boost and rocketed towards the wall. Sure enough, the eye came jetting after him. As soon as Chase was ten feet from crashing into the wall, he U-turned. Unfortunately, Andross had enough smarts to turn the eye around and shoot right back at the hapless frog.

"How in the holy mother of…damn, this guy's not a stupid as he looks." Chase grumbled as he swerved out of the way.

Since Chase had messed up his attack run on the eye, the only thing he could do was flee from it as it jetted after him. Suddenly, the other eye came out of nowhere and slammed into heavily Chase's ship. Before he had enough time to react, the eye and coiled itself around the ship and began to crush it.

"Get off me! Do I look like some kinda toy to you?!" Chase shouted.

Falco dove down and fired at the eye wrapped around Chase's ship. It released its prey, only to be shot down into the fiery liquid by Peter a few moments later.

Andross let out a violent shriek that seemed to shake the whole chamber. The nervous cord attached to the eye burned up as its attachment burned to a crisp.

"Just like your old man, Chase. Basket-case to the breaking point." Falco said rolling his eyes.

"Hey, I can't help it if a frickin' eyeball starts hugging my ship!" Chase retaliated.

"MUST DESTROY…CORNERIA…MUST BURN." Andross growled.

"Brain boy has a lust for destruction. What else is new?" Marcus grumbled.

A few of the tentacles draping below the brain drifted up and created a sort of energy reaction.

"Hang tight, mates!" Peter shouted. "That ruddy oaf's up to somethin'!"

A massive beam fired from the tentacles. The team boosted away from it and circled around their nemesis again, looking for a good opening.

"Oh, yeah. He's DEFINITELY been planning ahead." Chase said.

"Mark, watch it!" Falco shouted. "The other one's tailin' you!"

"Ah, crap!" Marcus grumbled.

He braked. The eye flew in front of him, but it immediately prepared to turn around.

"Feel the burn, big boy." Marcus said to himself as he slammed his fist on the red button above his head.

The smart bomb flew from Marcus' cannon, slammed into the eye, and sent it and the nervous cord careening into the fiery wall. As soon as it hit the wall, the eye burst into flames and took the cord along with it.

Andross screamed in pain again.

"Alright, the lobe's exposed!" Marcus shouted. "Everyone concentrate your fire on it!"

"I KNOW...YOU'RE HERE." Andross said mindlessly. "YOU WON'T GET…AWAY."

Even though he no longer had eyes, Andross still seemed to know exactly where the boys were. He slowly began drifting towards Marcus.

"Watch it, Mark! Target's on the move and he's comin' right at you!" Falco called.

"I'll act as the decoy. You guys hit the lobe when he follows me!" Marcus ordered.

Andross was coming at Marcus back-first, so even if he U-turned, Marcus still wouldn't be able to hi the lobe. The only option was to get Andross to chase him while the other three attacked Andross from the other side.

Marcus flipped around and sped away from the giant brain, which began to follow him. Falco, Chase, and Peter immediately started tailing Andross, when suddenly, right when they were about to attack the frontal lobe, he disappeared.

Marcus stopped and looked behind him. When he saw that he was no longer being tailed, his jaw dropped.

"What the…where the hell is he?!" he shouted.

Chase checked his monitor. It wasn't locating anything other than he and the other three boys.  
"I don't know! He isn't showing up on my radar!"

Falco started cruising around the chamber.

"He's gotta be here somewhere!" he said, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of movement. "It's not like he could just escape in the state he's in!"

Chase looked around and fiddled with a few switches, trying his best to find where Andross was hiding. Just then, a blip appeared…directly above him!

Andross' tentacles snaked down, wrapped around the _Slip Strap_ and began to crush it in its slimy grip.

"SWEET MOTHER OF MERCY!" the young Toad shrieked. "GET HIM OFF ME! GET HIM OFF ME!"

Marcus swerved in and blasted the frontal lobe at full force. The tentacles loosened, and Chase was able to slam on the boost and jet away from the giant brain.

"Well, that was kind of a thrill…" Chase said stupidly.

"Basket. Case." Falco said.

"Oh, shut up! You wouldn't have it any easier if it had been you. Am I right, Mark?"

Marcus didn't respond…at least, not properly. He simply monotonously grunted and continued setting up his next attack run.

"What's up with him?" asked Peter.

"He's got a lot on his mind. Just keep your guard up and don't bug him." Falco said with a stern tone in his voice.

The four ships looped after Andross again. The tentacles fired more beams. The ships avoided these easily, but Marcus' ship was just barely skinned as one of the tentacles lashed out at them.

"I'm already pissed off enough without this son of a bitch swatting me around like some goddamn insect!" Marcus growled.

"YOU SHALL NOT…LEAVE ALIVE." Andross bellowed.

"Oh, for the love of God, shut the hell up!" Peter groaned. "How can he talk, anyhow? He doesn't even have a mouth to begin with!"

"Aloud telepathy, I'm guessing? I dunno. I'm just picking at straws here." Chase said.

"Telepathy? Aw, c'mon! You really believe in that bloody rot?!"

"My guess is you haven't heard of Krys…"

Chase was about to finish his sentence, but stopped when he heard Marcus meekly whisper, "Mom…"

The giant brain flashed bright green. In a split second, the team's ships began to heave, sputter, and sink toward the molten ore below them.

"Oh, God, what is this?!" Falco sputtered.

"He's increasing the gravity in the chamber!" Chase shouted. "We're being weighed down!"

"Revert G-Diffuser system output. Gravity: Heavy!" Marcus yelled

Even with the G-Diffuser's increased output, the ships stood no chance against the impossible gravity. It almost seemed as though invisible hands had reached up and seized the ships in an iron grip.

"It's not working!" Peter shouted.

"We're dead, we're dead, we're dead, we're dead…" Falco whispered in panic.

"Not on my watch." Marcus growled.

He made sure he was lined up perfectly with the now immobile Andross and activated his Mach 4 convertor. Because of the steadily increasing force of gravity, it wasn't going as fast as it normally would, but it helped Marcus slowly pilot himself away from the lava.

Within several patient moments, Andross came within Marcus' firing range.

"Have a taste of shrapnel, you bastard!" Marcus shouted as he slammed the bomb button at full force.

A smart bomb flew from through the unforgiving and hellish air and detonated when it became ensnared in Andross' tentacles. Andross let out another hideous and blood-curdling shriek. Marcus' ship levelled out, as did the other ships below him.

Marcus was quick to return his G-Diffuser to its normal output to prevent himself from floating away. After all, too much output in the wrong place would cause him to float away. Too little output in the wrong place would cause him to go plummeting down.

"Nice goin', Mark." Falco said as he and the others came up next to him.

"What do you say we put an end to this?" Marcus said. "Chase, offensive maneuver 16!"

Chase sucked in a breath, then let out a loud and somewhat unnecessary battle cry as he dove at Andross. He opened a hatch above his head and pulled the lever inside. Another hatch opened and shot a long metal rod at Andross. The end pointing at Andross was spiked and sharp, while the other end had a small metal ball bearing on it.

In a slightly gruesome display, the rod stuck into Andross' frontal lobe. He shrieked again.

"Revert main weapons to Wave Beam! Maintain battle formation Kratos!"

The four boys flipped a few switches and changed their firing styles, and then arranged their ships in a vertical diamond formation.

"Execute!" Marcus hollered.

The four ships shot forward at a breakneck pace. After charging their cannons, they let fly with powerful and wavy beams of electricity. The beams themselves struck the rod sticking into Andross' frontal lobe and sent the charge across his entire body.

Andross screamed again as the charge flew into the machines attached to him and caused them to explode.

"NOOOO….MY RETURN…MY RESSURECTION…."

"Err….did it work?!" asked Peter.

"Wait for it…" Chase said.

Suddenly, the giant brain had an internal explosion, which was enough to send him careening into the lava. After a few seconds in the burning liquid, he sank out of sight.

Then, all was quiet.

"YAAAAAHOO!" Chase cheered. "We did it!"

"Guess that's the end of that." Falco said, leaning back against his seat and grinning.

"Talk about short-lived, eh?" Peter asked.

Marcus felt satisfied that he had beaten the madman that had murdered his grandparents, but still he felt that something wasn't right.

Of course…he couldn't go home and say to his parents "I beat Andross!" His parents weren't there for him anymore…at least, not in body.

He shook the thoughts away. Corneria was saved, and that was all that mattered, right?

Suddenly, Marcus' communicator crackled. He could make out a few words of what Damalgo was saying.

"Guy…gate's…about to…you gotta…now!"

Marcus tuned his communicator to the proper channel and spoke.

"Say again, Al?"

"The gate's closing! You've gotta get out of there right now!"

Just like that, the sensation went from triumph to complete and utter dread.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Chase exclaimed.

"This can't happen…not now!" Peter screamed.

"We're dead, we're dead, we're dead…" Falco said panic-stricken.

"Everyone get a grip!" Marcus shouted. "We're not gonna die! Return to forward thrust capacity! Evacuate at maximum velocity!"

The four ships shot up through the way they came as fast as they could, leaving their nemesis' remnants to burn in the sizzling depths.


	27. Live to Win

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

**Live to Win**

**Cornerian Mantle, 40 miles below sea level**

The tunnel appeared to quake and tremble as Marcus, Falco, Chase, and Peter went shooting up through the twisting and turning tunnel to escape their demise. As they got further away from Andross' fiery grave, flame from the core come launching up, trying to catch them. None of them paid any attention and just tried to make sure they followed the same path from which they entered.

"We just killed Andross! How come there's still earthquakes goin' on?" Falco shouted.

"It's not an earthquake!" Chase responded. "The planet's seismic level has returned to normal! It's just the tunnel wavering!"

"If it's just the tunnel wavering," Marcus started, looking forward in moderate shock. "then how do you explain THAT?!"

Gigantic rocks were splitting off of the walls and plummeting down towards the defenseless team.

"Shoot 'em down or we're toast!" Peter barked.

The ships cannons blared off as fast as their pilots could press down on the fire buttons. The rocks scattered into pieces when the lasers made contact.

All the metal gates that had appeared to block their path before were now nowhere in sight, so the group managed to shoot straight up through the tunnel without any difficulty, though they still had to line up one-by-one to get through without getting hit.

The rotating fans, however, were still fully operational and seemed to be spinning just as fast as before, if not faster. Marcus didn't seem to show any sign of slowing as he shot right at it.

"You trying to get yourself killed? Hit the brakes!" Chase yelled.

"The hell with the brakes! We don't have time for that! Just go!" Marcus bellowed.

Chase was the more logical thinker of the group, so when Marcus decided to do something brash and arrogant, he usually protested and talked him out of it. Now certainly wasn't the time for that.

Reluctantly, the other three decided to follow along with what Marcus had decided to do. They slammed on the boost and shot through the small gaps, trying their best not to get smoked by the rotating metal frames. Except for Peter, they all made it through clear and unscathed. Peter himself roughly skinned his upper left wing on the frame.

"Good Lord, it makes ya wonder these yaks get through here without gettin' gored on their own bloody death traps!" he growled.

"See, that's why you should never rush into things." Chase said matter-of-factly. "AND why you should listen to me more often."

"You wanna get out of here alive or not?!" Falco replied.

The tunnel twisted right. A group of Venomian fighters came shooting up after the team in a matter of moments.

"You think we're just gonna let you fly out of here after what you've done?!" one of them shouted.

"Sorry to jet, but we've gotta take a rain check." Marcus responded. "Drop the load, boys!"

The team slammed the small orange button next to the bomb button. Hatches opened on the back of their ships and dropped out all of their smart bombs on the bogies.

The massive explosion was enough to send the evil soldiers spiralling back down into the flaming abyss, while the shockwave from the blast radius sent the team rocketing faster through the tunnel.

"And you thought I was a basket case!" Chase said.

"Heads up!" Peter shouted.

The ships zipped past four flashing red lights blinking on either side of the tunnel.

"Motion sensor bombs!" Marcus hollered. "It's a trap!"

A section up ahead of them exploded and sent more massive pieces of brimstone raining down at them.

"Look alive, everybody!" Marcus barked. "They are NOT taking us down today!"

The four ships swerved away from the falling debris. As soon as the path was clear enough, Chase started fiddling with a few buttons on his monitor.

"What are you up to now?" Falco asked.

"I'm analyzing the time we have remaining until the gate disappears." Chase said.

A few loud beeps came from Chase's monitor, and as soon as the results appeared on the screen, his jaw dropped.

"Uhh…we've only got four minutes to get out before we get trapped down here."

"And you're just telling us this NOW?!" Peter asked angrily.

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger!"

"Thing is when you say 'Don't shoot the messenger', it makes me WANT to shoot the messenger!"

"Will you both shut up and keep your heads on straight?!" Marcus yelled. "We're not gonna get out of here if we keep arguing!"

"Don't look now, but we've got trouble!" Falco said, pointing forward.

Several small cannons aimed inward and began blaring lasers all over the tunnel in every which way.

"When did these get here?" Marcus sputtered.

"Those conceited apes must have set these up while we were fighting Andross!" Chase growled. "Do they have to make EVERYTHING hard for us?!"

Marcus swerved up, left, right, down, left, up, right, and right again, trying his hardest not to get hit by the sizzling hot lasers.

It seemed like they had passed all the lasers cannons when suddenly, just when Marcus least expected it…

ZAP! Another laser came shooting from behind him and cut off his ship's left wing.

"My port side's been severed!" he shouted in panic. "I'm losing altitude!"

Sure enough, his Arwing began to tilt over and slip toward the flaming wall. He had to keep tightly pulling up on the steering control to keep himself from smashing into the craggy side.

Chase swerved in front of him.

"Take this, Mark!" he said, hitting a blue button to the right of his head.

The reserve slot on the back of Chase' ship slid open. A wing repair probe dropped out, fastened to the left side of Marcus' ship and quickly used its miniscule to generate a new wing. Even though, they were small, wing repair probes were extremely efficient and could repair anything in a few seconds.

"Man, thank God you built enough of 'em to last a year." Marcus breathed. "Those little bots are always saving my hide."

What he meant by that was that he was always getting his wings knocked off when he was thirteen. Thankfully, Chase could build about a dozen probes in just under an hour, so he was always prepared to help get Marcus fixed up.

"Really hate to interrupt such a tender moment, but WE'VE GOT COMPANY!" Peter shouted after the team arched upward again.

A gigantic copperhead missile was zooming down the tunnel at high speed and headed right for them.

"Blast that thing down quick!" Marcus shouted.

The team locked on to the giant explosive and fired multiple charged shots at it until it detonated.

"We're running out of time! Two minutes!" Chase shouted.

"Just put it on the screen, will ya?" Falco said.

The timer appeared on Marcus' monitor. He began to get more and more anxious as it slowly began to tick closer and closer to zero. The team arched right again. More enemy units shot up after them and started blaring their lasers.

Marcus performed a quick barrel roll and deflected the lasers back upon their firers. The team arched upward one last time. Almost instantly, they could see the starry and slightly stormy sky at the end of tunnel.

"We're almost there! Don't stop now!" Marcus barked.

"And why in God's name would we do that?!" Chase said rolling his eyes.

"It's too early to celebrate! Look!" Falco shouted.

A gigantic metal gate that looked strong enough to repulse them was slowly closing around the exit.

"That gate's made of titanium-alloy!" Chase shouted. "I think there's some plutonium in there, too! Our Arwings can't possibly crash through that!"

Marcus smirked.

"Who said anything about smashing through it?" he said. "Activate Mach 4 convertors…NOW!"

The four ships zipped up through the opening just as the gate closed and rocketed up into the night sky. As soon as they were high enough above the ground, they hit the brakes and levelled out.

"Phew! We made it!" Chase breathed. "And with a minute to spare!"

The other four ships flew up alongside them. Anna, Katt, Damalgo, and Coyote were all cheering.

"You did it, guys!" Katt yipped.

"Corneria's saved, and it's all thanks to you!" Anna whooped.

Falco sighed out of relief.

"Hopefully that's the last we'll see of Andross." he breathed.

Marcus smiled meekly. Coyote noticed him and swerved her ship up next to him.

She smiled at him, and he was quick to smile back.

"Way to go, Mark." she said.

Marcus nodded.

"Thanks…I just wish that Mom and Dad were here…so they could see that…we could do it after all."

Coyote's smile quickly became wider and all the more warmer.

"I'm not one to believe in the supernatural or anything, but I'm sure they're watching us from Heaven right now, and I'll bet anything that they're just as proud of you as anyone else…maybe even more."

Marcus sighed. There he went brooding again.

"You're a hero, Marcus. You should at least acknowledge yourself for it." Coyote said.

Marcus looked up.

"Yeah…alright, Anne. Contact Peppy and tell him that everything's been taken care o…"

Before he could finish his sentence, his brain blared and a siren went off in his ears. It was his warning sense. It had just gone off. And it was even stronger than he had ever felt it. Everyone else was quick to notice this.

"What is it, Mark?" Falco asked.

"…something's wrong."

Just as the wormhole was about to close, sealing away the passage that led to the planet core…

…an enormous figure burst out of it and swung its gigantic fist right at Marcus' ship!  
"MARK, WATCH OUT!" Coyote shrieked.

Too late. The heavy fist slammed into the _Arwing III_ and sent it careening toward the barren landscape below.

"EEYAAAAAGH!" Marcus screamed.

He sharply pulled up on the steering control and swerved back up, just barely skinning the ground. With terror in his eyes, he turned his ship to face his attacker. What he saw was enough to make him stammer in fright.

"N-no…it…it can't be!"

Floating before the team was none other than Andross in his fully regenerated form; a gigantic, disembodied head and hands with tanned skin, a crazed look in his eyes, and a pointed white beard.

"Free at last from my hellish prison!" the horrifying beast laughed in delight. "Months of waiting have finally come to an end!"

"Uhh, Falco…is THAT what you remember him looking like?" asked Chase.

"…yeah…exactly like that." Falco muttered.

"He's…he's still alive…but how?!" Marcus sputtered.

Andross turned to the eight ships and laughed again.

"So this is the new Star Fox team? A group of children and three good-for-nothing vigilantes? Did you fools honestly think that you could defeat the great emperor Andross?!"

"This isn't good!" Chase sad. "If we don't take him down like this, he'll completely annihilate us!"

"How are we gonna take down something down that huge?!" Anna sputtered. "I'm not trying to sound doubtful, but…"

"Damn it…" Marcus growled.

"Mark, what do we do?!" Coyote shrieked.

Marcus was silent. He had thought for sure that they had killed Andross, but now he was floating right in front of them. He had to be the most intimidating thing that Marcus had ever seen in his life. He was frightened, and he could tell that the others were, too, but he couldn't just give up, even if the most feared being in the galaxy was there, ready to strike and murder them.

He angrily looked up.

"Enough! We have to stand up! For the sake of everyone…we have to fight!"

"Mark, you're really off your rocker this time!" Katt said. "I don't wanna fight Andross, I don't wanna see you kids get hurt, and I don't wanna die!"

"Well, suck it up, woman!" Marcus shouted. "If we die, then we die with honour!"

"He's right." Falco said. "We have to try! We've come too far to just give up now!"

Maybe he WAS off his rocker, but Marcus' mind was set. Everyone looked up with determination in their eyes. They were ready for battle.

"You won't escape Death this time, Andross!" Marcus shouted. "Not by a damned sight!"

Andross smirked.

"Very well then, young McCloud. Come! Stand before me if you dare!"

Andross swung his left hand at the team. They swerved around it and boosted away.

"He MUST have a weak point." Anna said thoughtfully. "Everything does!"

"Activating all-range mode!" Marcus shouted.

The team U-turned back toward Andross once the wings were set. Anna took a scan of Andross' body and searched all over, but either Andross was cloaking himself to hide his weak points, or he didn't have one at all.

"Uhh…maybe it's his hands! Shoot his palms!" she shouted nervously.

Marcus and Coyote swiftly avoided being pelted by Andross' right fist and looped back around.

"This is insane!" Coyote said. "Does Anne even know what she's talking about?"

"We better pray to God she is." Marcus replied as they delved in for an attack run. "Let him have it!"

The beams zinged through the air, but when they made contact with Andross' hand, they vanished and his palm began to glow a bright shade of green.

"What sort of child's play is this?" Andross mocked.

"Dammit! It's no good! He's just absorbing it!" Coyote hollered.

"Then we've got a monster-sized problem!" Chase said nervously.

Beams came firing from Andross' eyes (which he had somehow regrown after the boys had taken him down earlier). Within an instant, the beams themselves solidified into solid rock.

"Oh, come on! Is there anything this guy CAN'T do?!" Falco whined as he jerked the steering control off to the left.

Marcus swerved out of the way and looked up just in time to see Andross aiming his massive palm at him.

"I don't like the way that guy's looking at me!" Marcus panicked.

"Taste fear, morsel!" Andross bellowed.

A thin sheet of crystals sprayed over Marcus' Arwing. The engine began to sputter as they landed on his ship and fastened themselves to it.

"My engine's locking up!" Marcus shouted.

"Do a barrel roll before it shuts down!" Chase called.

Heeding his friend's words, Marcus rolled his ship. The crystal sheet covering it shattered and Marcus was able to properly steer again. Falco and Katt streaked toward Andross' right hand while Peter and Damalgo zipped toward the left.

"Try using charged shots!" Chase shouted.

"Will do!" Falco replied.

The four ships charged and fired. With the absolute miniscule effort possible, Andross batted them away with a flick of his wrist.

"Is that the best those pieces of scrap metal can do? You fare no better against me than a lowly insect!" Andross said.

"Uhh…yeah, I've gotta feeling that, ten-to-one, we're screwed." Falco said nervously.

"Goddammit! This guy's near invincible for crying out loud!" Damalgo cursed.

Without any hesitation, Andross seized the _Punk Rock-It_ and began to crush it in his hands.

"Let go of me, you big hairy freak!" Anna shrieked. "Oh God, somebody help!"

Chase shot toward the hand the held Anna. He wasn't going let this inhuman beast hurt Anna…not now and not ever.

"Wow, I'm actually starting to feel protective of her. Weird." he thought.

Shaking the thought out of his head, Chase opened his cockpit, pulled out a heavy-duty rocket launcher he had stored in the back and fired one of the explosives into Andross' eyes. The rocket exploded. Andross was left temporarily blinded, and he lost his grip on Anna's ship.

"Phew, is my heart still beating?" Anna breathed. "Thanks so much, Chase. You're a life saver."

"Think nothing of it." Chase replied. "Just try not to get your ass fried, alright? I'm not always around to help, y'know."

Andross growled as his sight quickly recovered.

"What was the point of such a trivial attempt?" he asked with an evil smirk on his face. "In the end, it shall not save you!"

The green glowing on his hands disappeared as a slowly swelling spark appeared on his fingertip.

"Uh, oh! He's charging something!" Katt warned.

Andross let out a loud battle cry that boomed across the whole sky as he pointed his finger at them. A gigantic beam that was about as thick as a freight carrier shot from the tip.

"That beam's devastating! Watch out, guys!" Anna screamed.

Marcus slammed his foot down on his boost pedal and avoided the gargantuan beam as it moved toward. The rest of the team scattered about. It was literally every man for himself.

"That's right! Run, cowards!" Andross mocked.

"Y'know, this is a real frickin' embarrassment!" Coyote growled.

Suddenly, Andross clenched his fists. Enormous surges of energy appeared as his grip tightened.

"Hell has met the earth! Now you will burn in its ashes!" he shouted.

With that, he slammed his open hands together. An enormous wave of energy generated from the villain's hands and spread out toward the team like wildfire. No matter how hard they tried to avoid it, the wave smashed into the eight ships and heavily damaged them. As Marcus recovered from the shock, he saw that his ship's shield gauge was dangerously close to zero. Another hit like that without time for his ship to rest and he was done for.

"My ship's almost busted!" Coyote said urgently. "I can't take much more of this!"

"It's no use! He's just too strong!" Chase shouted.

Marcus tried as hard as he could to deny it, but no matter how hard he tried, he realized now that there was no hope for their survival. Andross was too powerful. Eight people just wasn't enough to defeat him. For the first time in his life, he felt the crushing pain of defeat slowly eat its way into his heart. More and more, he felt the guilt of failure slice through him like a sharpened sword. He did nothing as Andross held up his hand again. He was giving up. He was letting everyone down...his family, his friends, Coyote…even himself.

A tear fell from his eye and he whispered to himself.

"Mom…Dad…I'm sorry…I can't beat him…I've failed you."

The energy reaction coming from Andross' palm grew brighter and larger, until finally…

…a smart bomb went flying into his hand.

The bomb exploded and Andross screamed in pain. He shook his hand. Marcus looked up.

"Huh? Wha…what was…" he sputtered.

The smart bomb had come flying out of nowhere. None of the eight ships had fired it. But suddenly, Marcus heard a new voice…one that he was overjoyed to hear. It was the calm voice of his father.

"Don't ever give up, my son."

Marcus looked back around behind him. Two Standard-Level Arwings were coming toward him. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. The ships were still there, as broad as pure daylight.

"I must be dreaming." Marcus said. "My parents fell off a five-hundred foot high cliff. There's no way I'm seeing them."

"Hold your horses. How can you be dreaming," Chase started. "…when I'm having the same dream?

Then another voice sprouted up. Another voice that soothed Marcus' fear. Krystal.

"It's because none of you are dreaming."

"You…you're alive?" Marcus sputtered.

The two Arwings swept up next to him. Both were alive and well, though Fox had a deep scar on his left eye, and Krystal had several cuts and bruises along her arms and face. Nevertheless, Marcus couldn't deny that both of them had survived.

"Do we look alive to you?" asked Fox with a warm smile on his face.

"WOO-HOO!" Falco cheered. "You made it!"

"It takes more than a thousand foot drop to finish off a McCloud, Falco." said a new voice. Slippy's voice.

"Dad!" Chase cheered.

Within a split second, Slippy, Amanda, Bill, and Lucy had driven out on to the battlefield.

"No mad scientist is going to hurt any child of ours." Lucy said. "Not while we're around."

Marcus looked at his parents again. Both were smiling brightly at him.

"You're okay…" Marcus whispered, a happy tear forming in his eye.

"Let's save the happy tears for later, sport." Fox said sternly. "Right now, we've got a job to do."

The fourteen ships crowded around Andross after Slippy had sent out a few QRPs (Quick Repair Probes) and mended everyone's ships. Andross himself had recovered from the initial shock and laid his eyes on Fox's ship. He gritted his teeth and his glare flared up.

"Fox McCloud. We meet again." he growled.

"So we do, Andross." Fox countered. "For the last time, as well."

Marcus nodded.

"Alright, everyone, let's…"

"Hey, don't start the party without us!" a voice said from the comm.

Fox recognized the voice almost instantly. It was a voice he hadn't heard in eighteen years.

"Wolf?!"

Just like that, five Wolfens swooped in and began circling around them before coming to a halt next to Fox, Krystal, Falco, Slippy, and Bill.

"About time I saw you again, pup." Wolf said.

"Let me guess: you felt guilty about leaving Corneria to be destroyed, so you and your gang of criminals decided to just pop in and ask to help?" Fox asked.

"Half-right: I felt guilty about saying the wrong thing to my daughter who had gone to help your son, so my gang of criminals AND my wife decided to pop in and ask to help."

"Your wife?!" Bill sputtered as he looked over into one of the Wolfens and spotted his sister. "Lori?! You married HIM?!"

"Don't sweat it, Dad." Anna said. "We're ALL in shock."

"Alright. Let's kick some primate ass!" Falco said.

"Letting your ego surpass you again, Falco?" asked Leon with a smirk on his face.

Marcus glared at Andross.

"This time we're taking him down…together as one!" he said, his confidence returning to him.

The other eighteen ships lined up one after the other. Fox nodded at Marcus. Marcus nodded in return and gave the order.

"All ships strike! NOW!"

They all broke off in different directions around Andross. A few beeps came from Slippy's end of the line.

"Shield analysis complete. It should be coming up on the monitor right about...now!" he said.

A bar appeared on Marcus' monitor.

"Anna! Lucy!" Marcus ordered. "Circle around Andross and try to find his weak point!"

"Yessir!" Anna replied.

"You got it!" Lucy said.

Coyote broke off towards Wolf. She still couldn't believe that Wolf had regretted what he had said to her, so now was the time to talk to him.

"Dad…why did you come back for me?" she asked.

"Because you're my daughter." Wolf said. "You're not just a tool to get to Fox. I shouldn't have been so angry with you. After all, you were just trying to be a good person. Can you forgive me?"

Coyote began feeling emotional again, but right away, Falco broke up the tender moment.

"Uhh, do you think we could do the sentimental forgiveness bit later? We've got a brawl on our hands here!"

"Tsk, tsk." Leon mocked. "Leave it to birdbrain over there to break up such a touching moment."

"Why I oughta…"

"Heads up!" Amanda shouted.

Andross swung his hand again. The ships accelerated away from it. Andross opened his mouth. Several missiles came shooting out, as did small bits and pieces of rocks.

"It looks like he puts up some sort of shield around himself when he has his mouth closed." Lucy pondered.

"That's it!" Anna concluded, snapping her fingers. "Mark, fire a bomb in there!"

Marcus flushed.

"Err…easier said than done. We kinda dumped our entire bomb supply to get out of the tunnel."

"Okay, seriously, THAT was his fault." Chase said. "So don't start pointing fingers at me!"

Panther swerved down in front of Marcus.

"Take these, boy." he said.

Smart bombs fell out of slot on the back of the _Black Rose_. Marcus opened the _Arwing III_'s cannon and pulled them in.

"Alright, I'm good to go." Marcus said. "Thanks, Caroso."

"Don't push your luck." Panther growled. "You won't receive any kind of friendly gesture from me again."

Suddenly, Krystal butted in.

"Hey! That's my son you're talking to, you cad!" she hollered.

"Err…of course, he is!" Panther stammered. "I was just playing around with the young one, hon."

Marcus' face adopted a confused expression. He looked over at Coyote.

"'Hon'?" he asked.

"Trust me; you don't wanna know." Coyote said.

Marcus rolled his eyes and swerved away as Andross swung his hand at him.

Wolf came dive-bombing down toward Andross. Fox pulled up alongside him.

"His attacks are starting to build up!" Fox warned. "Be careful!"

"Keep your advice to yourself and your eyes front, Fox!" Wolf retorted

"What the…hey, I was just trying to help! There's no need to backlash me like that!"

"I don't need your help, pup! I'm just fine on my own!"

"AND STOP CALLING ME PUP!"

The two started jabbering amongst one another like there was no tomorrow (There certainly wouldn't be if Andross wasn't stopped). Marcus and Coyote immediately caught sight of what was going on.

"Oh, please!" Marcus groaned.

The two sped toward their fathers and butted into their argument.

"BOTH OF YOU, GET A GRIP!" they shouted.

Wolf and Fox were immediately silenced.

"We know you two aren't exactly acquaintances, but seriously?! Do you have to break out in an argument right now?!" Marcus scolded.

"I ain't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed either, but I know enough to know that grownups have better things to do than argue!" Coyote said sternly.

"Alright, alright, Yeesh!" Fox muttered.

"Thought I'd never live to see the day…" Wolf smirked.

Oikonny, Slippy, and Katt went delving down toward Andross right as he opened his mouth again.

"Now! Fire a bomb in there!" Bill yelled.

Two smart bombs and a missile went flying into Andross' mouth. He screamed in pain as the explosives detonated in his throat.

"That's it!" Anna cheered. "It's working!"

"He shouldn't be able to handle much more of that." Amanda said.

Andross shook out the pain and growled as he looked at Oikonny's ship.

"My own nephew is one of them…Andrew! How dare you turn against me!" he bellowed. "You have betrayed the very being that brought you up from the pathetic waste you once were!"

Oikonny was silent for a moment, then he answered with the utmost confidence that he had.

"Sorry, unc. I'm making my own path now! And I'm proud of it!" he said boldly.

"Very well. Then you shall die with them!" Andross growled as he aimed his hand at Oikonny and fired.

"I don't think so!" Anna shouted as she swerved in front of the laser and deflected it with a barrel roll.

Small groups of homing missiles came shooting from Andross' hands. One group set its sights on Lori, while the other streaked after Krystal.

"Oh no!" Lori shrieked.

"Aaah! Fox!" Krystal screamed.

Marcus and Fox shot after Krystal's pursuers, while Wolf and Coyote zipped towards Lori's. Marcus and Fox held down their fire buttons and took the homing missiles down with a few well-targeted charged shots.

"You okay, Mom?" called Marcus.

"Mm-hm." Krystal breathed. "Thanks, boys. What would I do without you two?"

Coyote and Wolf swerved in between the missiles targeting Lori and used a few quick barrel rolls to set them off.

"Oh, thank the lucky stars for you two!' Lori said. "God, I'm so awful at this piloting stuff…"

"Don't sweat it, darling." Wolf said. "You're not going down before me."

"So the Space Cowboy has a soft spot after all…" Katt chuckled. "Now I've seen everything."

Just as Marcus hit the boost pedal and rocketed towards Andross again, the behemoth seized Marcus in his massive hand and proceeded to tighten his grip, trying to crush Marcus' ship in it.

"Keep your filthy paws off my boy!" Fox shouted.

He slammed the ejector seat button, shot up high into the air, pulled out a flash grenade on his belt and threw it right into Andross' eyes. The small bomb exploded and hindered Andross' sight. Marcus barrel-rolled and shook his ship loose.

"Phew, nice save, Dad." Marcus breathed. "Man, this guy's got a grip of iron!"

"Maybe, yes, but he's got a body made of glass." Fox smirked.

Falco streaked toward Andross just as he opened his mouth again. Leon came trailing behind him.

"Leon?! Don't you dare try sneaking up behind me!" Falco shouted.

"Heh. Still working on hiding your weak points, I see." Leon chuckled. "How inconvenient."

Another smart bomb and another missile shot down Andross' throat and detonated. Out came several giant puffs of smoke and another bloodcurdling scream of pain. Andross seemed to retch and cough for a few moments before angrily turning back to the team.

"Gah! It's not over yet, you fools!" Andross bellowed, firing lasers from his hands.

Marcus swerved between Andross' shots, and when he was within the proper range, he readied his hand above the ejector seat button.

"Correction: it's WAY over, pal! Mom, offensive maneuver 2!"

Krystal nodded. Marcus set his ship to auto-pilot, unsheathed his staff, and slammed the ejector seat button. As soon as Marcus was high enough in the air, Krystal reached out with her mind and caught him. Marcus was now suspended in mid-air.

"Zyxxyab Uqsu!" Marcus shouted.

The staff split into millions of small pieces of anti-matter. Each piece began floating around him.

"Fantastic." Coyote whispered.

"So that's what a Cerinian is fully capable of…such radiance…" Panther muttered under his breath.

Marcus glared down at Andross. He clenched his fists together.

"Accept your fate." he growled.

Marcus gritted his teeth and clapped his hands in front of him.

"GO!"

Right on cue, the anti-matter went shooting down through Andross, who screamed out of pain again. A blinding flash went up as Marcus landed safely back in his ship, closed the cockpit, and reverted to manual mode. His staff regenerated in its sheathed state on his back. When the light faded, however, Andross was still floating in front of them, still perfectly alive but panting heavily.

"Son of a….! I thought for sure that would do him in!" Marcus cursed under his breath.

Andross growled and glared at them.

"Is that the best you've got?" he asked.

"Give it up, Andross!" Fox shouted. "You've got nowhere to run."

Andross smirked evilly.

"Don't I?" he chuckled.

With that, he turned and sped away.

"Hey, now! Where's he doing?!" Wolf sputtered.

"That jackass is getting away!" Coyote growled.

"All ships revert to forward thrust capacity!" Marcus shouted. "We can't let him escape! Not now!"

The nineteen ships immediately gave chase. Andross accelerated. So did they. Eventually, they came close enough to begin firing at him.

"Face it, monkey face: your luck's officially run out!" Marcus hollered.

"You really think so, McCloud?!" Andross bellowed back.

Andross suddenly turned and let out a demon-like roar. A gigantic wave of energy erupted from his maw and repulsed each of his pursuers.

"I acknowledge you formidability, boy." Andross said mockingly. "Each of you made for quite a worthy opponent. But you have all wasted your breath. I have been reborn, and now this pathetic planet's end is nigh! By midnight tonight, my revenge will finally be complete!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Marcus said.

Andross laughed.

"How very amusing. A child has enough petty courage to believe that he can stop me? Have some sense, you imbecile! This planet is and always has been fated for destruction, and I will see to it that each and every one of you perishes in the fiery depths of hell!"

At an unbelievable speed, Andross shot up into the atmosphere.

"Damn it! He's escaping into the atmosphere!" Anna growled.

"This is bad! If he gets away like that, there's no telling what he'll do!" Slippy panicked.

Marcus growled and looked down at his feet. They could have finished Andross off right there and then, and he slipped through his fingers.

Suddenly, Wolf spoke to him.

"Let me give you a piece of advice, Marcus." he said.

Marcus looked over at Wolf. He was looking so fiercely at the young McCloud with his good eye, it was like he was looking through him.

"What?" asked Marcus.

"Don't hesitate." Wolf answered. "When the time comes, just act."

Marcus took a moment to ponder on what Wolf had just said, then looked up when he came to the conclusion. He couldn't just sit there and wonder "What the hell do I do now?" Sometimes a guy had to do what a guy had to do…this was one of those times.

"Well, Mark?" Chase asked. "What do we do?"

"Orders, cap'n?" said Damalgo.

Marcus inhaled, exhaled, and then confidently stated his answer.

"All ships, hold your positions." he said.

"Mark, what are you doing? What do you mean 'Hold our positions'?" asked Anna.

"Everyone, don't follow me."

He sped forward and started tilting his ship up toward the sky.

"I'll go it alone from here!" Marcus shouted.

"What are you, crazy?! You'll get massacred!" Katt shrieked.

"Have you lost your marbles, mate?!" Peter yelled.

"Marcus…don't!" Coyote pleaded.

Marcus didn't listen. He arched his ship up at ninety degrees and slammed the boost pedal, sending his ship shooting through the hole in the stormy clouds.

It was just him and Andross now.

_This is it, folks. The final battle is coming soon. Balls to the wall, people!...did I really just say that?_

_Anyway, a recent review of the story sort of caught my eye when the commentor said that this should be the next Star Fox game. I decided to have a little fun with that, and now I ask you the readers an interesting question: if Next Gen were to be made into the next Star Fox game, who would the English-speaking cast consist of?_

_If you're wondering what I think, here goes. All the characters that appeared in Assault will have the same voice actors (i.e. Jim Walker as Fox, Alesia Glidewell as Krystal etc.) How about the others? Well, after careful consideration, I came up with this list:_

_Marcus-Yuri Lowenthal_

_Coyote-Michelle Ruff_

_Anna-Tara Strong_

_Chase-Scott Menville_

_Katt-Jennifer Hale_

_Bill-Roger Craig Smith_

_Lucy-Laura Bailey_

_Lori-Julie Ann Taylor_

_Logan-Brian Beacock_

_A.D.A.-Ellen McLain (Don't deny it; you saw that coming!)_

_Damalgo-Robin Atkin Downes_

_Peter-Paul Mercier_

_Kursed-Alesia Glidewell would make sense, but if not, Colleen Clinkenbeard_

_That's just my opinion, though. If you think someone else should be in one of the roles, I'd like to know who it is. Let your voice be heard, and stick around for the final three chapters and the bonus chapter from Soul Embrace!_


	28. Black Holes and Revelations

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

**Black Holes and Revelations**

**Cornerian Atmosphere**

Thunder cracked across the sky and for the second time that night, it began to rain buckets. Nevertheless, Marcus flipped on the _Arwing III_'s headlights and pressed on. It was almost midnight, and as Marcus gave chase to Andross, he slowly began to grow more and more intimidated than he had veer been his life. Never had he been forced to go up against something so fearsome on his own, and never had it been something as fearsome as Andross.

But he couldn't give up…he WOULDN'T give up. He'd come too far already. Everything that he had done for Corneria…every reconnaissance mission, every military assistance mission, and every bounty hunt…this would surpass all of them as the day he eliminated the Venomian Army from the inside-out. Today was the day that Andross would plummet back into the flaming depths of hell…only this time, he was going to stay there.

Within seconds, Marcus could see Andross floating higher up into the atmosphere, completely unaware of Marcus' presence. Marcus could tell that Andross was thinking that no one would be able to stop him, even if they could turn warp space, or even turn back time.

Underestimation was what got every villain eliminated in their own special and brutal way.

"Target acquired." Marcus whispered. "Mom…Dad…Grandma…Grandpa…this is for you."

He nodded and slammed the boost pedal. He rocketed towards Andross.

"And just where the devil do you think you're going?!" Marcus shouted.

Andross turned and looked at the lone Arwing speeding toward him. He devilishly smiled.

"So you have come, Marcus James McCloud." he laughed. "I knew that eventually James McCloud's grandson would be foolish enough to challenge me. It is unfortunate that you will share his fate."

"You think I'm just gonna sit by the sidelines and let you prance your jolly, primate ass out of here? Get serious, pal!"

"What a pathetic waste. You truly believe that you can defeat the most powerful being in the galaxy? A simple child like you could not even spend one day away from his own home without bawling for his mother."

"First off, I've done that on more than one occasion. It's not hard at all. Second, it doesn't matter how old I am. My father killed you once when he was 18, and then again when he was 26. If there's one simple thing I've learned from that, it's that you're never too old or young to be a hero! You could have been a great hero if you had simply followed General Pepper's orders! Corneria could use someone with your power!"

Andross scowled.

"Don't play with me, boy. This planet couldn't fend for itself if those 'heroes' could live for an eternity! Power is what drives our existence and motivates us to be what we are! Without it, we are nothing! You would have done the same if you could!"

Marcus frowned. More of that power talk…first Kursed, and then Andross. Who was next?

"If that's what you think, then I swear on my grandparents' grave that I'm going to take you down, even if it means I have to go with you!"

Andross grunted.

"Very well. I shall test your small talk, boy. Now come! Show me what your pathetic father has taught you!"

Andross turned and revealed the back of his head: a giant stone bust of a Krazoa, with a glowing jewel fixed to its forehead and with two glowing eyes.

"This is my last chance to stop him…I'm not gonna lose! Not now and not ever!" Marcus whispered.

Marcus began shooting at the Krazoa's head jewel. The gigantic monolith retaliated by opening its mouth and shooting mercury rings at its metal target. With some difficulty, Marcus was able to avoid them. He locked onto the head jewel and fired a charged shot. The jewel shattered into pieces, but Andross began firing high-frequency beams from his eyes. After swerving out of the way of all the beams, Marcus started shooting the eyes themselves. The mouth opened once again and several more mercury rings came flying out. With more difficult swerves, Marcus dodged them and shot out the two eyes with the Multi-Lock. Andross yelled out in pain, then turned and exposed his true face. He swung his gargantuan hands at Marcus, but missed.

"Not bad, but not good enough." Andross mocked.

"Pff! Try me, you big noognick!" Marcus shot back.

Marcus noticed two white spots on Andross' palms; one on his left hand, and another on his right.

"Not too good at hiding your weak points, are you?" Marcus mocked.

He swerved off to the left just as Andross swung his hand at him. He charged up a shot, locked onto the white spot and let the shot fly. The spot went out when the small sphere of energy slammed into it. Andross cried out in pain yet again, and the giant hand went limp. The titan inhaled and sent many small meteoroids from his large maw. With dozens more difficult swerves, drop, and barrel rolls, Marcus managed to avoid getting smoked by them. Suddenly, Andross took a long rattling breath and began sucking in the air around him. He was breathing in so hard that Marcus' ship was being pulled right toward the monstrosity's huge mouth.

"Oh no, you don't!" Marcus growled.

He jammed the steering console all the way to the left and kept it there. His ship reacted to this by repeatedly barrel-rolling to repel itself from the heavy amount of suction until Andross closed his mouth again. Marcus braked and moved away from him. Andross lifted up his still mobile hand and fired giant mercury rings at Marcus' ship. Marcus himself navigated his way around them locked onto the second white spot and let fly with another charged shot.

Andross yelled and shook his other hand.

"Damn rodent! You and I both know that your death is inevitable!" he growled.

"You're right, it is. But I'll go down whenever it suits me!"

"We'll see!"

Andross covered his face and flipped around, revealing the Krazoa head again, with its hollow eyes and head gem fully recovered. He began firing eyebeams again, hard-pressing Marcus to swerve left, right, up, down, and diagonally to avoid being singed by them.

"Are you even trying?!" Marcus mocked. "C'mon, Wolfens move faster than you, monkey fist!"

The Krazoa's mouth opened. An enormous energy reaction began to from in it, the eyes, and the head crest.

"OK, here we go. We have lift-off!" Marcus said. "...oh, crap!"

Gigantic laser beams erupted from the four glowing spots. Each laser was wide enough to completely envelop three Arwings. Worst of all, they seemed to be tracking Marcus and quickly moving towards him. Everywhere he moved to avoid being smashed, the lasers slowly but surely followed. Just when Marcus was sure that the uppermost one was about to come down on him, they all expired and faded. Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. One hit from those things would have killed him. The young McCloud then swerved over and blasted away the head crest. The mouth opened wide again and deployed more mercury rings.

"An old monkey can't learn new tricks, even with the odds climbing higher against him. How sad." Marcus mocked.

Marcus was able to quickly dodge these and maneuver his way around to the left eye, which he blasted out in seconds.

"Anymore tricks up your sleeve, fancy pants?" Marcus mocked. "Oh, that's right. You don't have any pants!"

Small missiles came darting out from behind Andross' head and zoomed towards Marcus.

"Meh. I deal with this stuff every day. Is it supposed to intimidate me?"

He made sure he had the Multi-Lock on, locked onto the missiles, and shot them down with charged shots. As soon as they were out of the way, Marcus focused on Andross again. With a quick boost and a swap back to single lock, Marcus charged up a shot and blasted out the remaining eye. Andross screamed yet again, but instead of turning around and exposing his face, fumes came spilling out of the mask's numerous openings. The fumes themselves leaked up into Marcus' cockpit. He couldn't tell what kind of noxious gas was composing them, but from the way it was slowly getting more difficult to breathe, he could tell that the fumes were deadly. He strained his eyes to see through and focus on the target as he reached up and slammed a yellow button overhead. A rushing noise was heard, and the fumes were quickly ventilated out of the Arwing.

"Pff! That's all you've got?!" he mocked.

He focused on the mask's openings.

"Wonder what would happen if…" he thought, locking onto the open mouth and hitting the bomb button.

The smart bomb zipped through the air and into the opening. Within a few seconds, it exploded and the mask came loose from the back of Andross' head.

"Score!" Marcus cheered.

Andross himself whipped around so fast that he sent the discarded mask careening at Marcus.

"Up high, down low…"

He zipped through one of the mask's open spots and faced Andross again.

"Too slow!" he finished.

"You dare mock me, you insolent worm?!" Andross bellowed, swinging his hands again.

Marcus swerved above the left, below he right, and in between them both.

"Worms are small annelids with no limbs, no faces, and no sense of direction. Now ask yourself: do I look anything like that?" he shot back.

Andross raised both his hands. Gigantic beams of molten magma erupted from his palms, which quickly solidified into solid rock. Marcus ducked underneath the massive stalactites as they went hurtling toward the planet surface.

"It really is a long way to the top if you wanna ROCK and roll." Marcus mocked, followed up by laughing at his own ridiculous pun.

He swerved down below more eyebeams, locked onto the white spot on Andross' right hand and fired away.

The hand went limp as the charged shot connected.

"Weird. I was thinking that if you took this long to get to, you'd put up more of a fight. Man, I get a bigger kick out of _Tetris_ than this." Marcus mocked.

"Your sarcasm will be the death of you!" Andross retorted.

Andross seized the _Arwing III_ in his left hand, maniacally glared at it, and repeatedly smashed it against his forehead. Marcus barrel-rolled to get loose of the gargantuan hand. His ship had several severe dents running up the fuselage, but other than that it was perfectly intact. Andross, meanwhile was rubbing his forehead from where he had smashed the ship against it.

"It just goes to show you: nobody wins with a head-butt." Marcus thought with a smirk on his face.

He swerved toward Andross again.

"Hey, turd for brains!" he shouted. "You gonna put up a real fight or can I leave now, 'cause I've got better things to do."

Andross growled, looked up, and swung his hand. Marcus somersaulted over the attack and let fly with another charged shot. The white spot went out and the second hand went limp. Andross fired more meteorites from his mouth. Marcus (once again) dropped, swerved, barrel-rolled, looped, and essentially did whatever he could to avoid being pelted by the small bit of rock and steel.

Andross opened his great maw and started sucking in air again. Marcus was about to start barrel-rolling, but then he had a better idea.

"Chew on this, smartass!" he shouted, slamming the bomb button.

A smart bomb went flying into Andross' open mouth and detonated.

Suddenly, Andross' form went transparent, except for one organ: his brain.

"Mad scientist's weakness is his brain. How original." Marcus said.

Andross lunged at Marcus, but since the brain was the only solid part of him now, the young McCloud ducked underneath it. When the mutant ape pulled back, Marcus fired at the fleshy, pinkish-purple muscle as fast as he could until Andross lunged at him again. After several moments of lunging and shooting, Andross regenerated his physical form. He blew more meteorites from his mouth. Again, Marcus slipped around them.

Andross remained idle as more missiles shot from the back of his head and locked onto Marcus. Marcus himself flipped on the Multi-Lock again, targeted all of the missiles, and fired. The explosives were made short work of in a matter of moments. Andross fired more meteorites, but this time, he backed them up with a barrage of eyebeams. Marcus flew above, between, and underneath the meteorites, and deflected the eyebeams with a barrel roll, sending them straight into Andross' eyes.

Andross growled as the eyebeams hindered his vision. He left his mouth open long enough for Marcus to fire another bomb. Andross became transparent again and began lunging at Marcus' ship.

Marcus himself reverted his laser back to single-lock, then fiddled around with a few switches until a beep went off.

"All power sources diverted to main cannons." a computerized voice said from his monitor. "Laser Strength: Hyper."

"Just how I like it." Marcus smirked, pressing down on the fire button with his thumb.

As the lasers went flying through Andross' fleshy brain, they crackled with pure electricity. If Marcus had his numbers right, it wouldn't take long before…

Yes! When the lasers made contact with the brain, Andross immediately returned to solid form as the lasers rapidly singed his skin. When the electric current ceased, Marcus could see the bones and muscle underneath.

"So, you give up, or are ya thirsty for more?" Marcus mocked. "Believe me; I could do this all night if I wanted to."

"The great emperor Andross will not be defeated by this kid!" Andross bellowed. "I will live to see you perish in the flames of my wrath…someday, this planet will be in ruins, just like it has become since the moment I left!"

Andross turned and began fleeing. Marcus slammed his foot down on the boost pedal and jetted after him.

"Not this time, bonehead!" Marcus growled.

Another laser went rocketing from his cannon and hit Andross on the back of the head. He screamed and turned around, but still propelled himself backwards.

"Hell's just a block away, buddy. Go ahead and make yourself at home down there…again!" Marcus hollered.

Andross opened his mouth and fired a massive stream of fire. Marcus avoided it, then dropped as another flame came from his adversary's hands. Andross stretched out his finger. High-frequency lasers shot from his fingertips as he directed them at Marcus' Arwing.

"Goddammit, not these again!" Marcus growled as he swerved away from them.

He was able to dodge all of them, until the last one grazed his right wing and sliced it off.

"Oh, great." Marcus grumbled.

Andross grinned in triumph and swung his hand at the defenseless _Arwing III_. As Marcus jutted his head against the back of the seat when the hand smashed him, he could swear that he nearly had a concussion. Just like that, his monitor began beeping again. He glanced at it and saw the only thing that could have possibly knocked him back into the belly of the whale: his shield gauge was at almost zero.

There was only one thing to do. Doing the best that he could to keep his ship upright, Marcus reached for his Mach 4 convertor. Normally with both wings, if he shot through something while using the convertor, he wouldn't get damaged. But if he did it now…

"A good captain goes down with his ship." he muttered.

He sucked in a deep breath, nodded, uttered one last prayer, and flipped the switch. His ship rocketed toward Andross at high speed.

"SEE YOU IN HELL, MONKEY BOY!"

Just as the ship was about ten feet away from colliding with Andross, Marcus hit the ejector seat button and sprung up out of the ship. The now empty Arwing went flying straight into Andross' mouth. It exploded within him. He screamed even louder than he had before as he tumbled to the ground far below.

And, with his face looking up at the clear, starry sky, Marcus gave a satisfied smile of victory up at the heavens.

"No more sorrow…this isn't sacrifice…not even death…it's merely the beginning of a new day."

With that, he closed his eyes as he fell toward the ground like a meteor.

**Below the stormy fog...**

The eighteen ships that had remained below the clouds stayed idle, eagerly waiting for Marcus' return. Next thing they knew, Andross gigantic form was plummeting toward the earth. Fox, meanwhile, saw something else: a human-sized dot falling uselessly through the air.

Neither Fox nor Krystal could deny the obvious: that was THEIR human-sized dot! Marcus was falling!

"Is that…Mark?!" Katt panicked.

"Chase, do you see a chute on him?!" Falco shouted.

"Negative! No chute! NO CHUTE!"

Everyone's mouths dropped open. Coyote started biting her nails. Krystal could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"Is he insane?!" Bill yelled.

"That stupid kid!" Wolf growled. "Why would he do something like that?"

Even if they had activated their Mach 4 convertors, they wouldn't be able to reach Marcus in time. He was falling too fast.

"I've already lost my parents…now I'm going to lose my only son, too." Fox whispered sadly.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Slippy caught a glimpse of a bright flash. He turned around in his seat and looked out the window.

"Fox! Look!" he called.

Fox looked. He saw it. Something zooming right at Marcus. It was a Standard-Level Arwing, but it was slightly translucent.

"Didn't you two take the last Arwings in the hangar?" asked Amanda.

"Yes." Krystal replied. "I'm quite sure we did."

"Then who the hell is THAT?!"

Slippy zoomed in with the _Bullfrog_'s built-in infrared camera and snapped a photo of the ship's pilot.

"Mugshot's coming up right…now!"

The pilot's picture appeared on everyone's monitor. They all gasped when they saw the face.

"Is that…" Bill whispered.

"It can't be…can't it?" stammered Wolf.

The pilot was a male fox who looked almost exactly like Fox, except his fur was a light shade of brown. He wore a silver flight jacket and a yellow ascot. Covering his eyes were a pair of sunglasses.

No one could believe who they were looking at, but without a doubt, the pilot was none other than…

"Dad." Fox whispered.

As he fell through the cold air, Marcus could feel nothing but the loud howl and rush of the wind as he fell miles to the ground, to what he felt for certain was his doom…

…when he heard the loud rush of an Arwing and felt something seize his hand.

He opened his eyes. He was dangling some five hundred feet above the ground. For a moment, he felt like he was going to throw up, but then he looked up. Someone in an Arwing had opened their cockpit and grabbed his wrist. And that someone was…

"Grandpa?!" Marcus blurted.

James pulled Marcus onto the hood of his ship and slowly piloted it to the ground where Andross' still-living body was collapsed.

"You have to end this, Marcus." James said, with his voice echoing throughout the air. "Now, finish him off."

Marcus looked at his grandfather as the Arwing hovered a few inches from the ground. He looked at Andross, then back at James. He nodded, hopped off of the ship, and broke into a sprint, unsheathing his staff as he went. Andross was lying on the ground, panting heavily. He simply had no energy left to put up a fight. Even he couldn't deny that he wasn't going to be alive much longer. Marcus quickly slid to a stop when he was about twenty feet from Andross. He grasped his staff in both hands and lifted it to the sky, with the spear end pointed down.

"Now it ends!" he shouted. "Spirits to me!"

Violet lightning struck Marcus' staff. The translucent Krazoa Spirits appeared from seemingly nowhere and began circling around the staff. At the tip of Marcus' staff, a small, wavering, black dot was slowly getting larger.

"What the blazes does he think he's doing?!" Leon shouted.

"No way!" Chase sputtered. "Is he…"

"Yes!" Amanda said. "He's going to send Andross into hyperspace! He's creating a black hole!"

The black hole slowly became larger until it was large enough to swallow Andross whole. Andross himself looked weakly at it.

"You wouldn't dare!" he growled at Marcus.

Marcus smirked.

"I do. Now, my opponent…"

He snapped the staff forward, sending the black hole right at the giant ape.

"VANISH INTO THE VOID!"

The hole stopped just inches above Andross. Just like that, it started sucking in the space around it and began to pull Andross up inside. The evil ape tried to grab the ground and prevent himself from being swallowed by the hole, but he had already crossed its event horizon. He was a goner.

But then Slippy said something that brought that thought crashing down.

"Mark, you have to do more than that to take him down!" he called through the comm. "He's got a chance of getting out of there!"

"Son of a…wait, I got it!" Marcus replied. "Chase! Is _Final Smash_ prepped?"

"Wha…well, yeah, but I thought you made each of us swear that we're only gonna use that in emergencies!"

"This IS an emergency! We've gotta destroy ALL of him!"

_Final Smash _was a pure fission warhead that had taken the combined efforts of Slippy, Chase, and Slippy's father Beltino to build. Unlike the crudely built ones of the past, however, this one was packed with both uranium and plutonium instead of just one or the other, as well as a large canister packed with anti-matter. Plus, it was smaller and laser-guided, so it was much safer to use, though the blast radius still took up about half a mile.

To put it in simple terms, it was a more efficient version of a nuke.

Marcus booted up a comm link with ROB.

"ROB, rendezvous at my coordinates! Deploy _Final Smash_!"

The _Great Fox_ came flying down out of the clouds. A hatch on the bottom opened and a gigantic cannon extended out of it. It aimed at the black hole.

"Alert!" ROB blared. "If the missile is fired now, you will not be able to escape the blast radius on-foot!"

"I don't care! Fire the damn missile!" Marcus barked. "Now! That's an order!"

ROB heaved out what sounded a lot like a sigh, then said "Very well."

The missile's rocket thrusters started powering up.

Just then, Wolf came barrelling down toward Marcus.

"Grab on, kid!" he yelled.

"Wolf!" Lori and Fox shouted.

"Dad!" Coyote hollered.

Marcus sheathed his staff, grabbed the Wolfen's top-right wing and clung on for dear life as Wolf started to fly away from the black hole as quickly as he could. The missile was released from the cannon's hatches and started flying down toward the hole. Wolf slammed down as hard as he could on his boost pedal, but his ship wouldn't budge. It was suspended in mid-air.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Marcus shouted. "Get us out of here!"

"Don't you think I'm trying?!" Wolf yelled back. "That hole you made is too big! We're being pulled in!"

The missile quickly came closer and close to the target. Andross was now almost completely sucked inside the black hole. There was no escape now.

"Don't you have a Mach 4 convertor or something?!" Marcus hollered.

"Yes!" Wolf responded.

"I think now would be a good time to use it!"

Wolf flipped a switch and turned on the convertor. They blasted forward, but not before the missile struck its target. Both Andross and the black hole went up in a gigantic explosion. The radius quickly spread outwards, and in a matter of seconds, it slammed into the back of Wolf's ship and sent it hurtling towards the ground.

The explosion let off a blinding flash and an ear-splitting roar, but no matter how loud or bright it was, two voices could be heard over the calamity screaming at the top of their lungs.

"RAARGH!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

When the light faded, the remaining seventeen ships flew down to the ground. Fox, Krystal, Lori and Coyote immediately jumped out their ships and ran forward. Wolf's ship was in ruins on the ground and had made a wide trench where it had landed. Wolf slowly crawled out of the wreckage and fell flat on his face. He breathed in. He honestly couldn't believe that he was still alive after the crash, but right now he was too exhausted to move.

Lori and Coyote knelt down beside him and turned him over onto his back. He coughed ash out of his mouth. His ocular lens was shattered and throwing out small sparks.

"Wolf? Are you alright?" Lori asked anxiously.

Wolf took in a few deep breathes, then answered.

"I'm fine…" he breathed as he sat up. "Where's the kid?"

Fox and Krystal ran behind Wolf's ruined ship and stood in shock when they saw Marcus lying flat on his back with his eyes shut and his staff lying three feet away from him. Their greatest fear was starting to come to them.

Krystal knelt down and held up her son's head.

"Marcus! Wake up! Please!" she shrieked.

The others gathered around Marcus' body, all nervously waiting to see whether he had survived the crash or not.

Fox put his hand on Marcus' chest.

"His heart's still beating. I can feel a pulse."

Krystal got her ear close to Marcus' mouth to listen for any breathing, when…

"RAAAAAAAAARRGH!" Marcus roared in his mother's ear.

Krystal shrieked and fell flat on her back. When she sat up again, Marcus was laughing his head off.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist!" he howled, trying his best to keep his ribs from tickling.

Wolf was just as shocked as Krystal was.

"Wha…you were…'the hell?!" he sputtered.

Marcus grinned at Wolf.

"Wolf O'Donnell, you're my hero." he mockingly said.

Krystal took a few deep breathes before telling Marcus off.

"Don't! Ever! Do that! Again!" she breathed. "You had me worried sick!"

"He had YOU worried sick?" Fox sputtered. "What about me?! He's my son, too, y'know!"

Now everyone was laughing. Marcus most of all, not just because he had scared his mother out of her wits, but also because he was still alive. While he continued it, he looked around. The Arwing that had rescued him…that ghostly ship…and his grandfather…where had he gone? Was that his ghost?

He stopped laughing when his stomach started to hurt.

"Oh, God, my gut!

Marcus breathed in.

"Is he gone?" he asked.

Everyone smiled and nodded. Marcus smiled and breathed out.

"Good…then I guess it's all over."

Marcus sprang to his feet when he heard, and then saw the Venomians marching towards them. Each of the nineteen pilots were ready to fight, but stopped when they saw sparks fly from the nearest one. The Venomians all threw out sparks from their necks and halted.

"Wait a second…" Fox started.

Coyote walked toward the nearest one, looked him dead in the eye…

…and punched him in the face.

To her surprise, the Venomian's head came off. But what she was even more shocked to see was that instead of fleshy muscles or gushing blood, she saw…

"Motors?!" she said, scratching the back of her head. "Man, what the hell kind of monkeys are these?!"

Marcus walked toward another Venomian and poked him in the chest. He fell over and fell apart. They all watched as, one by one, all the Venomians gathering around them threw sparks from their necks and fell apart in metallic crashes.

"The Venomians are…robots?" Anna asked.

Chase picked up one of the arms of the Venomians and looked it over.

"Hmm…very clever, Andross. Guess he figured the best way to run his cyborg army was by making himself the mothership."

Chase rolled his eyes and threw the arm over his shoulder.

"Pff! What a dumbass! Next time just build a ship!"

Next thing they knew, the entire population of Corneria was gathered around them, even the military and Peppy. For a moment, all was quiet…

…then the populace burst into cheers.

Marcus smiled, as did the other eighteen pilots. They thrust up their fists. Everyone cheered even louder. Raising his hands, Peppy silenced everyone.

"It seems that congratulations are in order." he said. "The Star Fox team has saved us from our potential demise once again."

Marcus nodded.

"Thanks, Peppy…but we couldn't have done it without Star Wolf's help. I mean, we're famous enough already. Why should we get all the credit, right?"

Peppy chuckled. Wolf crossed his arms and grinned. Marcus looked at the Star Wolf team (including Coyote, who was smiling warmly at him). He got an idea. They deserved something that they'd wanted for years.

"If you don't mind, I have a favour to ask of you." he said to Peppy.

Peppy stroked his chin.

"And what would that be?"

Marcus looked at everyone, then cupped his hand over his mouth and whispered into Peppy's ear. Peppy listened carefully, and then grinned from ear to ear.

Marcus stepped back.

"So how 'bout it?" he asked.

Peppy crossed his arms.

"Interesting terms, Marcus." he said. "Given the circumstances, I guess it would only be fair to accept them."

Peppy made sure everyone was listening to him, then spoke.

"For their assistance in this war, a daring rescue on their leader's part…and considering I'm in such a good mood right now," (Here everyone chuckled. Even as the general, Peppy had a great sense of humour. )"I hear by declare that Panther Caroso, Leon Powalski, Andrew Oikonny, Wolf O'Donnell and his daughter Coyote are vindicated of all charges pressed against them."

Wolf, Panther, Leon, Oikonny, and Coyote nearly fell over, but then all grinned brightly when everyone cheered again. Coyote stepped behind Marcus and whispered into his ear.

"Thank you."

Marcus smiled back at her.

"My pleasure."

"Friends, family, fellow militia." Peppy said, facing the nineteen pilots.

He stepped back and placed his open hand to his forehead. The pilots did the same.

"We're proud to call each and every one of you a hero."

Peppy delivered a four-fingered salute. The heroes returned the gesture. The Cornerians cheered again.

"Nevertheless, it's time for us to go." Wolf said. "So say good-night to the bad guy."

The five remaining Wolfens began piloting themselves over to where the pilots stood. Wolf, Lori, Panther, Leon, and Oikonny began walking toward them. Coyote stayed behind for a brief moment to talk to Marcus.

"You sure know how to finish the fight." she said, lightly blushing.

"What can I say?" Marcus shrugged. "I'm a McCloud, after all."

They both laughed.

"So, am I gonna see YOU again?" Marcus asked.

"Maybe someday."

Marcus gently pulled Coyote into a warm embrace. She smiled and returned it. She tried to enjoy every waking moment of it, simply because she didn't know when she'd get to do it again.

"You can come back and visit anytime you want." Marcus said. "You're always welcome here."

"I know." Coyote said. "Don't worry. I won't make it TOO long."

"Come on, Coyote!" Lori called from her Wolfen, with Wolf in the back seat. "Let's go home!"

Coyote broke off from the embrace. She slyly winked at Marcus.

"Later, tiger." she said coyly.

She hopped into the Iron Maiden. The five Wolfens lifted off the ground. Lori led the way as they flew back to Fortuna, but Coyote grinned one last time at Marcus. She brought her palm to her lips and blew him a kiss. Marcus smirked and gave her a two-fingered salute. With that, the _Iron Maiden_ led the way as Star Wolf flew off into the night.

"There goes the greatest girl in the universe." Marcus said to himself, smirking and putting his hands on his hips.

Once more, the Cornerians cheered, knowing that they were safe and their saviours had been acknowledged for their brave deeds.

The war was over before it even started…and Corneria was the victor.


	29. When Christmas Rolls Around

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

**When Christmas Rolls Around**

**December 24****th****, 2053**

**McCloud's House**

Several weeks after the war (appropriately dubbed Lylat War Two, considering Andross was the cause again), the entire planet was still buzzing about it…everyone except those who actually fought in it.

Fox, Krystal, and Marcus were settling down into the house again after it had been fixed. Every year on Christmas Eve, the McClouds had a huge party that all of their friends came to. It was the same thing every year: the adults talked and laughed and drank and whatnot, while Marcus, Chase, Anna, and sometimes Tyler (and on rare occasions the Toad triplets if they weren't out with their girlfriends) played a giant set list on _Guitar Hero_ on Marcus' Wii U. This never got boring, though.

At the moment, it was about five minutes to eight, and Fox, Krystal, and Marcus were each doing different things. Krystal was preparing a few refreshments in the kitchen, while Fox was in the living room putting the last few ornaments on the tall spruce tree sitting a few feet from their fireplace. Marcus, meanwhile, was in his room, but neither of them had any idea what he was doing.

"Hey, Krystal?" Fox called.

"Yes, Fox?"

"I can't get the star up on the top. You've got long legs. You think you can get it up there for me?"

Krystal walked into the living room, pulled off the oven mitts she was wearing, threw them on the couch and crossed her arms.

"Even with my 'long legs' I'm still two inches shorter than you. If you can't do it, then I certainly can't."

Fox smirked and crossed her arms.

"YOU'RE saying you can't do something? First time I've heard THAT in a while."

Krystal realized that her husband was just doing this to poke fun at her. Even he had a sense of humour when it came to his family.

Krystal groaned.

"Fine. You got me."

She took the star from Fox, stood on her toes and tried the best she could to reach up and put the star on the top, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't reach it. She was just too short.

"See, Fox? I told you, I'm just too…Whoa!"

Before Krystal could finish her sentence, Fox had heaved her onto his back. Fox grinned as he lifted Krystal, who was now sitting with her legs dangling over his shoulders.

"I'm pretty sure you can get it now." he said mischievously.

Krystal smirked and rolled her eyes.

"What do you think, you sneaky joker?" she giggled.

With incredible ease now that Fox was supporting her, Krystal popped the star up on top of the tree.

"You know, you're still as strong as you were back when we first met." she pointed out. "Have you and Marcus been working out when I'm not around?"

"Well, I hit the bench press sometimes, but I think Marcus just seems born with it." Fox answered.

Fox bent over. Krystal slid into his arms, one arm behind her back, and the other under her thighs.

"Now was that so hard?" he asked with a big smirk in his face.

"Not only are you still strong, but you still have that habit of sweeping me off my feet per se."

They both smiled and shared a five-second kiss, before Fox stood Krystal back on her feet.

"Hey, speaking of Marcus, what's he doing upstairs, anyway?" Fox asked, looking toward the stairway. "He's been up there for a while now."

"Not sure. Maybe he lost something."

Fox pricked up his ears and listened carefully. He could hear a low booming noise coming from Marcus' room.

He smirked.

"I think I've got a pretty good idea about what he's doing."

Krystal grinned.

"I'll get him. Get the door if Peppy and the others show up."

**Upstairs...**

Marcus wasn't just in his room. He was in the game, too.

The game being _Guitar Hero: Universe Tour_, easily one of the greatest games he had ever played. Up to six players could play the game: one vocalist (two if there were two singers in the song), one lead guitarist, one bass guitarist, one drummer, and one keyboard player if the song had a keyboard chart. At the moment, Marcus was singing. He usually played lead guitar (hence the name GUITAR _Hero_), and only sang when he was in a really good mood.

He'd BEEN in a good mood ever since Coyote blew that kiss at him. Maybe he was just getting his hopes up, but he was hoping that maybe Coyote would want to see him again, so she'd convince her parents to let her come down and spend some time with him. After all, she was vindicated now, so no one would mind.

But in the game, no one could touch him. The Nintendo VBV (Virtual Boy Visor) made it look and feel like he was actually there in the game. On the TV, he was the singer avatar. And while he was belting it into the microphone, Axel Steel, Johnny Napalm, Casey Lynch and Echo Tesla were slamming down on the guitar, bass, keyboard and drums as they all rocked out to "I Miss You" by Blink-182.

The song ended. The video crowd went nuts and started jumping up and down, cheering, moshing, and holding up signs that declared "Welcome home, Renard Noir!" (Renard Noir being Marcus' in-game band's name. It meant "Black Fox" in French). Marcus, Echo, Axel, Casey, and Johnny each put down and stepped away from their instruments and threw up the devil horns. The crowd cheered even louder.

Then, Krystal's voice went through Marcus' ears.

"Having fun?"

Marcus yelped, pulled the VBV off his head, and whipped around. Krystal was leaning against the door frame, smiling.

"Uhh…you didn't hear me just now, did you?" Marcus asked as he turned off the Wii U with the remote in his hand and slipped off the sensor bands on his wrists (Unique elastics that made the avatar on-screen do exactly what you were doing).

"Well…I heard enough." Krystal said, coming into the room.

"You know you could have just tapped me on the shoulder. I mean, it's not like you purposely tried to scare me or anything but…"

"Just call it payback for that little prank you pulled off a few weeks ago."

"Yeah, ha, ha. Laugh it up."

Marcus sat down on his bed. He felt good for serenading someone who wasn't even there, but now he felt extremely embarrassed considering the fact his mother had heard him.

"So how good of a mood are you in right now?" Krystal asked as she came in and sat down.

"…a good enough one, I'll give you that."

"Anna's family's almost here. I was hoping you could help me and your dad put up those last few lights on the stairs."

Marcus sucked in a deep breath. Now the whole serenade thing was bugging him. When in doubt, mum's the word.

"Mom, can I talk to you about something?" he asked.

"Of course! I'm your mother, remember?" Krystal answered. "You can tell me anything."

Marcus gulped and twiddled his thumbs for a moment as he said what he needed to say.

"What if…hypothetically, of course…I had a crush on a girl and that it would probably irk you if you knew who it was?"

Krystal didn't need to scan his mind to know what he was talking about.

"And would this girl's name happen to be Coyote O'Donnell, by any chance?" she asked.

Marcus sighed.

"Umm…yeah….you're not mad, are you? I mean…she's Wolf's daughter, after all."

Krystal laid her hand on Marcus' thigh and smiled at him.

"Marcus, it doesn't matter to me who you think your soul mate is." she assured him. "That's up to you to decide. I don't care who you fall in love with. I only care about whether she makes you happy or not."

"…yeah…she does." Marcus answered. "She's pretty and really fun to be around. I like her...and I think she likes me, too."

"There you go! If she makes you happy, you should date her. Your father and I did the same thing, and things are going really great for us."

Marcus looked at her with a mischievous look on his face. Krystal's smile turned into a look of confusion.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You mean like that time I came downstairs and saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus?"

Krystal blushed and burst out laughing.

"You were only four years old then. You still remember that?"

"Who wouldn't? Y'know, I never really believed in Santa Claus, anyway." Marcus laughed. "Just the whole concept of it all seemed ridiculous."

"That wasn't the only thing that was ridiculous." Krystal thought.

She shook her head and drove the thought out.

"Alright, you've had your fun. Now it's MY turn!"

That shut Marcus up.

"Wait a minute! I thought this was a mother-son bonding moment!"

"It is, but really. Remember when you were seven and you started looking in such inconvenient places for presents…when it was still two months until Christmas? You just couldn't wait for December 25th, could you?"

"Hey, come on! I was SEVEN!"

"You of all people should know that patience is a virtue!"

They both looked like they were about to explode into a full-out argument, but then they both burst out laughing.

"Yeah, I AM kinda impatient. My bad." Marcus chuckled. "Hey, you remember when you and Dad were setting up the tree back when I was thirteen and the base came loose and the thing nearly fell on you?"

Krystal grinned and blushed slightly.

"It's thanks to your father that I wasn't hurt. But believe me; that's nothing compared to what happened to you last year."

Marcus' eyes bulged out. The one she was referring to was the most embarrassing moment of his entire life.

"Wait, Mom, please don't bring that up. It's humiliating enough just thinking about it!"

"Sorry, but it was just so funny!" Krystal laughed. "You got your foot snagged on a strand of lights, then you tripped over the banister and got hung upside-down by your ankle. Honestly, you were dangling there, screaming and flailing your arms around like a fish before we finally got you down."

"Heh. Yeah, you both laughed so hard at that!"

For several moments, neither mother nor child could stop laughing their heads off. So many embarrassing memories, yet they welcomed them as if they were long-time friends.

"Well, thanks for reminiscing, Mom." Marcus said, finally able to stifle his laughter.

They stood up and started heading toward the door.

"Time to set up those lights, I guess. Kinda figured I'd have to do it sooner or later."

Krystal stopped. Marcus had his head turned to her, so he didn't see that he was walking right toward the banister. He'd already gotten his ankle snagged in the bundle of lights lying on the floor.

"And hey, my friends are coming over, so we DO wanna look our absolute best, right?"

"Marcus, look out!"

Too late. Marcus slammed into the banister and went flipping over it. The lights uncoiled and snagged on one of the metal bars, while the part around Marcus' ankle tightened. When the calamity had ceased, Marcus was dangling upside-down in front of the door. Krystal ran down the stairs and Fox ran in from the kitchen. When they caught an eyeful of their son playing worm-on-a-hook, they nearly fell over in fits of laughter.

"GODDAMN IT! NOT AGAIN!" Marcus screamed and trashed around.

Right at that moment, the door opened. When Anna, Bill, Lucy, and Peppy saw Marcus, they stopped in their tracks.

"…of all the things I planned on seeing tonight, this wasn't one of them." Bill smirked.

"Mark, are you okay?" asked Anna.

"Oh, I'm fine…just hangin' out." Marcus replied.

Everyone, including Marcus, chuckled. Marcus himself reached up as best as he could and pulled at the knot on his ankle until it came undone. Unfortunately, this resulted in him falling and hitting the floor. Hard.

"Ah, my neck!" he groaned.

He jumped to his feet. His neck felt extremely stiff.

"You okay?" Peppy asked.

Marcus quickly rolled his head. A loud crack came from his neck, and the stiffness ceased.

"Yeah. Just a crick. Come on in, guys."

The four came in and took their shoes and coats off. Peppy, Bill, and Lucy followed Fox and Krystal into the living room, while Marcus led Anna upstairs to his room.

"You're looking nice tonight." Marcus said, looking at Anna's T-shirt that had "Joan Jett and the Blackhearts" stencilled all over it.

"Thanks." Anna replied. "You know, I swear to God that I can't leave the house without someone thanking me or saying 'You go, girl' at me. I mean sure, we're heroes and all, but doesn't it feel a little…awkward?"

"Hey, we'll just have to live with it. Besides, it'll blow over eventually."

They walked into Marcus' room at sat down on the bed.

"Umm…Mark?" asked Anna.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have any dating tips for me?"

Marcus repeated Anna's sentence in his head. Dating tips? Why would she want to know that? Wasn't she cool enough to know all about that on her own?

"Err…why?"

"You've already landed two smooches on Coyote, and you already know that I'm crushing on Chase. He's coming tonight, and I kind of wanna…you know…get things started between me and him. I was just wondering if you could help me out."

Marcus pooled over her words carefully. She should have been asking a girl like Katt or Lucy, but he had something that she could use either way.

"Well…try not to overdo it around him. If you do, you might end up making him shy and convince him to avoid you."

"Okay…anything else?"

"My suggestion is that if you're gonna start things off between you two, you need to land one on him. Starting a conversation is also a must, because once they're talking to someone who's close to them, people start to really show their true feelings. And don't forget to be nice to him."

"You sure that'll work?"

"…tell you the truth, you really should be asking a girl, but it's worth a shot, I guess."

Anna smiled.

"Ah, no biggie. You tried. Thanks, Mark."

Marcus grinned.

"You've been my friend since before I knew what Star Fox was. If there's one person I'm always gonna be there for, it's you."

Anna smiled and hugged her friend. Talking to him had made her feel much better about the whole situation. She felt like she could date Chase, marry him, and give him a kid all in one night now. Speaking of Chase, just then the door opened and Chase stuck his head inside.

"Feliz Navidad!" he shouted with a big grin on his face.

Marcus and Anna quickly unhugged and stood up to greet their friend.

"Hey, Chase! How goes it?" Marcus asked enthusiastically giving him a high-five.

Anna sucked in a breath, and pulled on a lazy smile and seductively said, "Hi, Chase."

"Hey, Anne." Chase replied. "…uhh…are you feeling okay? You sound a little...sick."

Marcus slapped himself in the face immediately seeing that whatever Anna was trying to do, it wasn't working. When he had said to try and get a conversation going, that's not what he had meant.

He figured that the least he could do was go ahead and break the tension.

"How 'bout we head downstairs? Falco's probably bringing those guys with him."

The three teens got downstairs just as the door opened. Damalgo, Peter, Falco, and Katt came inside.

"Merry Christmas, kids." Falco said when he saw them coming down the stairs.

"Nice place you got here, mate." said Peter. "Hey, mind if I use the thunder box real quick?"

Marcus chuckled.

"Sure, Pete. Up the stairs. It's the second door on the right."

The four stepped in and took their coats off. Just to check in on how much Damalgo liked Corneria, Marcus struck up a conversation with him.

"So how's Corneria treating you, bud?" he asked.

"This place is great! There isn't something around every corner trying to kill you, everyone speaks the same language…and hey! You've even got a holiday where you give each other presents…actually, tell you the truth, I don't really get the whole concept, but it sound pretty nifty."

Now everyone was sitting down in the living room, talking. As soon as Peter came back from the bathroom, Falco whistled to get everyone's attention.

"Everyone, I've got something really important that I wanna…"

Before Falco could finish his sentence, the doorbell rang. Marcus jumped. He wasn't expecting it simply because everyone who was SUPPOSED to be there was there and accounted for.

He took a quick count of heads. Fox, Krystal, Chase, Slippy, Amanda, Tyler, Beltino, Anna, Bill, Lucy, Peppy, Falco, Katt, Peter and Damalgo.

"Who are we missing?" he wondered as he walked over to the door.

Marcus grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. As soon as the door was open all the way, strong arms flung themselves around his shoulders and pulled him into a big hug.

"Hi, Mark! Did you miss me?" Coyote asked excitedly.

Marcus was speechless. Coyote and her family had actually come!

"Coyote…Wolf…Lori…Panther?"

Not that he was thrown off, but he felt both shocked and happy to see them there.

Coyote broke off from the hug with her hands still on his shoulders.

"What? You're surprised to see us?" she asked.

"…why?" Marcus asked.

"Well, we figured it was Christmas, and it's thanks to you that we've been vindicated, so…"

"No, I mean, why did you bring him?" Marcus asked, glancing at Panther.

Krystal came over to the door to see what all the commotion was.

"Marcus, is everything alri…what the?!" she sputtered when she saw Panther.

Panther himself simply chuckled.

"Ah, Krystal. Still as lovely as ever. If only the beauty of a luscious sapphire rose could belong to one who could handle its strength."

Marcus got an awkward look on his face. Coyote took her hands off of his shoulders and nervously scratched the back of her head.

"That's why. When he figured out where we were going, he tagged along."

Krystal was unimpressed by Panther's poetic statement.

"Listen, Panther. Whether you like it or not, I'm happily married and that's not going to change anytime soon."

"You never know." Panther replied with a predator grin on his face. "You many suddenly develop the almighty urge to turn to a true man."

"NOT GONNA HAPPEN!"

"Ugh. Why is he on the team, anyway?" Coyote asked her father.

Wolf shrugged.

"Honestly, we take whatever we can get. At least he's good with a gun."

Lori smiled at Marcus.

"Come on, Marcus. I want to see my big brother. Are you gonna let us in?"

"Uhh…sure!" Marcus said with a grin forming. "The more, the merrier, right?"

The four came in and took off their jackets. Marcus stopped to look at them for a moment.

Wolf's ocular lens had been repaired from when he had smashed it. Lori looked a bit like Bill now that he thought about it. Maybe they were twins. Panther wasn't as imposing in a muscle shirt as he was in the cockpit of the _Black Rose_, and Coyote…

"Whoa!" That was all Marcus could think

Coyote had brushed back the fringe in her hairdo, so now Marcus could see both of her big blue orbs. She had taken off the smoky eye shadow that he normally saw her wearing, though the eye liner was still there. She had a streak of navy blue going through her ponytail, and she wore a black tank top that had skulls along the hem and what appeared to be fake blood stains stencilled all over it. Her leather pants went down to just above her ankles, and there was a metal chain loop hanging from her belt.

She was a walking, lupine, metal goddess.

"Hey, where's Leon and Oikonny?" asked Katt when the four new house guests walked into the living room.

"They couldn't come." Coyote answered.

"Couldn't, or wouldn't?" asked Amanda.

Wolf took a moment to think about it, but he could come up with a logical answer in about two seconds.

"Wouldn't. You know what they're like."

"Pff! Typical Leon for ya right there." Falco scoffed. "Not like he'd show up even if you paid him. That selfish, cold-blooded creep."

No one was quick enough to warn Falco that Leon had suddenly dropped from the ceiling and landed directly behind him.

"YAH!" the chameleon shouted into Falco's ear.

Falco yelled out of shock and fell flat on his butt.

"Leon?!" he shouted.

The cold-blooded creep cackled.

"What's up, Falco? You're shaking."

Wolf smirked.

"So you're not such a secluded outcast after all. That's a first."

Falco grumbled to himself before getting back to his feet.

"Okay, Falco. You were saying?" asked Fox.

"Huh? Oh, right." Falco said, shaking off his scare. "Everyone listening?"

All eyes were on him.

"Okay, good. There's something I want to say to Katt."

Katt stepped in front of him with an eager look on her face, even though she had no idea what he was going to say.

Falco sucked in a few breaths, then stated the absolute opposite of what Katt thought he was going to say.

"For almost thirty-five years of my life, you've been a thorn in my side and have picked on me whenever you got the chance. You even did the same thing with my friends regardless of what I would think, and not only that, but you can't go one day without nearly getting yourself murdered."

Katt stepped back. She looked more hurt than she had ever been in her life. Little did she know that Falco was just building up the tension.

"Because of that, there's something I've wanted to say to you for years, and now I'm gonna say it so everyone here can know exactly what I really think of you."

"This could get ugly…" Marcus thought.

"Katt Monroe…"

Faster than the eye could see, Falco was down on his knee and had whipped out a velvet box from his pocket and opened it.

"Dear God! Did he just…" Chase whispered.

"Will you marry me?" Falco asked.

Literally everyone was speechless. The Falco they knew wanted absolutely nothing to do with girls, leading them to assume he didn't want a wife or kids. But it looked like things had changed…BIGTIME!

Katt was silent as she slowly picked up the ring and fit it over her finger. Falco stood. Katt said nothing for a few more moments, then flung her arms around Falco and pulled him into a hug.

"Yes, I will!" she joyfully sobbed.

Next thing anyone knew, Katt pulled back and kissed Falco's beak. Everyone cheered loudly. Coyote even jokingly added "Get a room, you two."

With that moment of suspense past, everyone began talking. Anna walked over to Lori, who was sitting next to Bill.

"So…you're my aunt?" she asked.

Lori looked at Anna and smiled.

"It's about time I met you. Your father's been telling me all about you." she said. "Looks like my brother knows how to raise a kid after all."

"Ah, shut up." Bill said, lightly punching Lori's arm.

Anna sat down next to Lori, smiled, and within moments, they began talking as though they'd known each other since the day Anna was born. Marcus meanwhile saw Wolf sitting next to Peppy. He felt the sudden urge to speak with the father of the girl he had fallen in love with. Just to see if he was okay with it.

Marcus gulped and walked over to Wolf.

"Mr. O'Donnell?" he said.

Wolf looked at Marcus.

"Ah, Marcus. Please, call me Wolf."

"Alright…Wolf. Uhh…I'm not sure how to put this…heck, I don't even know if you know about it, but I…"

"You're in love with my daughter."

Marcus sighed.

"Yeah…you're not angry, are you?"

Wolf stood up and put his hand on Marcus' shoulder.

"A few weeks ago, Coyote taught me a very valuable lesson: parents can't control their children forever. I figured that out at the expense of her running away from home. When she did that, I knew that the only person she could run to was you, because even when I questioned her about it, she wasn't afraid to admit that she adored you."

Marcus' face brightened. Wolf gave him a small-half-smile.

"The only reason that I objected to it was because you were Fox's son, so I thought you were the same as him. But after I watched you battle Andross with such might and ruthlessness, I knew you had something that neither I nor Coyote could ever gain. I still don't know what it is, but I DO know that you're destined for great things. Anyone with eyes could see that."

"You two behaving over here?" Fox asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes, Dad." Marcus said rolling his eyes.

"Not picking on him, are you?" Coyote asked Wolf.

"No, Coyote."

Wolf stepped in front of Fox. He had to be at least four inches taller than Fox, not counting his pricked ears.

"You've got a good kid, Fox." Wolf said.

"Thanks. You, too."

"You know, my daughter taught me something else as well."

Coyote nudged Marcus with her elbow.

"This oughta be good." she whispered.

"No kidding." Marcus whispered back.

"She taught me that just because you're better than me doesn't mean I have to hate you for it." Wolf continued. "Your superiority has always been the thing that bugged me the most about you. But now that I have a family of my own, I finally think that it can change."

Fox held up his hand.

"Say no more. I know exactly where this is going."

Everyone, particularly Lori and Krystal, was paying attention now. They all wanted to see exactly what the two had to say to each other.

"You want to end our rivalry." Fox finished.

"Exactly." Wolf replied.

Coyote was silent, but on the inside, she was whooping and pumping her fists.

"Yeah, baby! About freakin' time!" she thought.

Wolf held out his hand to Fox.

"Of course, that's what I want. It's up to you to make the final decision, pup."

Fox thought it over for a few moments before he grew a large grin.

"On one condition."

"What's that?"

Fox grinned even more and took Wolf's hand.

"Stop calling me pup."

Wolf smiled and shook Fox's hand.

Everyone started talking again, and right away Wolf and Lori looked at each other, then at Coyote, then at each other again, then nodded.

They had to tell her now.

"Coyote? Can we talk to you for a moment?" Lori beckoned as she and Wolf sat down again.

Coyote walked over to her mother.

"What's up?"

"Sweetie, there's something…difficult we have to tell you."

"Uhh…okay. What is it?"

"We would have told you sooner, but we wanted to surprise you."

Coyote groaned. She didn't like being put in suspense, especially by her parents.

"C'mon, guys, what is it? You're not filing for a divorce or something, are you?"

Wolf laughed.

"No, nothing like that. At this rate, that'll probably never happen."

"Then what?!"

Lori took a breath before answering.

"I'm three months pregnant."

Coyote's jaw dropped, then shut, then dropped again. She was WHAT?!

"By who?" she asked.

"By your father, of course." Lori laughed. "Congratulations, dear. In a little while, you're going to be an official big sister."

Coyote was silent, then teetered backward and keeled over.

"Incoming!" Marcus called stepping forward with his arms outstretched.

Coyote fell nearly unconscious into his arms.

"I…I'm a…I'm a…" she gasped.

"No need to explain it. I heard the whole thing."

"Hey, now that I think about it," Fox said, looking at the two teens. "you two would make a great couple!"

"What the…Dad!" Marcus whined.

"Hey, you're right!" Lori giggled. "You two look so adorable together!"

"Mom!" Coyote groaned as Marcus stood her back on her feet.

"Whoa, hold the phone!" Chase laughed from behind them. "Are you two gonna start dating or something?!"

Marcus fumed bright red.

"Chase…" he seethed.

"C'mon, guys! Let's see a little romance over here!" Anna joked. "One kiss for us all to see!"

Coyote started steaming.

"Anna…" she growled.

Chase and Anna both laughed. Just when neither of them expected it, Coyote and Marcus spun around.

"SHUT UP!" they hollered.

Chase and Anna were silent.

**10 minutes later**

Marcus and Chase were talking to each other while everyone else sat in the living room. Anna had asked Marcus to swear he wasn't going to tell Chase about their talk earlier, but it had somehow slipped. Chase fortunately thought that he was just pulling his leg.

"Oh, get real, Mark! Why would Anna have a crush on me?" he said with his arms crossed. "I mean, sure, we're friends, but you know…I'm a bit of an ass towards her. If that doesn't turn her off, I don't know what will."

"So NOW he admits it…" Marcus thought sourly.

He sighed out of impatience. He had tried for at least three minutes to explain to Chase what was going on with Anna, but he didn't seem to believe him.

"She was talking to me about it earlier. No doubt about it, hombre. She wants you BAD!" Marcus replied.

"Wait a second, she asked YOU for dating advice?"

"What's wrong with that? Gimme one good reason why she shouldn't have asked me."

"I can give you two good reasons. One, you're a guy, and two, you're not dating…yet."

"Ah, come on! At least give her a chance, dude!"

Chase rolled his eyes. Listening to Marcus telling him that Anna Grey wanted him was like saying that his mother was the devil. You just don't do it.

"Yeah, whatever. Hey, I'm gonna go get a drink." he said, stepping toward the kitchen. "You want anything?"

"Nah, I'm…uh, Chase?"

Chase had stepped into the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. Anna was standing there, too.

"What?" Chase asked.

Marcus pointed over Chase's head. He looked up.

A bough of mistletoe was hanging from the doorway, and both he and Anna were standing right underneath it.

"Damn the torpedoes." Chase panicked.

He looked at Anna, who now had an oddly salacious grin on her face, along with tired and lazy looking eyes.

A bedroom face.

"Uhh…am I supposed to…" Chase started.

Anna giggled.

"If you like." she said.

Chase gulped and propped up his fedora. Even though he was taller than his father, he still had a whole head to go before he caught up with Anna.

Everyone's eyes were on them. Chase nervously leaned forward, as did Anna.

The next thing he knew, Anna's lips were pressed against his mouth. She kept them there for a considerable amount of time. Both of them were blushing bright red.

Coyote stood next to Marcus to try and talk to him, but when they caught sight of what Chase and Anna were doing, they took one look at each other and nearly fell over laughing their heads off.

Anna felt completely exhilarated, while Chase nearly swooned. Anna had just snogged him right on the lips!

Anna slowly pulled back and giggled again.

"Now wasn't that nice, Chase?"

Chase was literally seeing stars as he started to sway.

"I'm sorry, conductor. I seem to have lost my ticket." he said in a dazed tone before passing out.

Slippy smirked.

"Our son's first kiss and he can't even stay awake for it."

Marcus groaned.

"I'll handle this."

He slipped his hands under Chase's arms and pulled him up the stairs to his room.

"Always gotta do things the hard way, don't we?" he grumbled.

Marcus set Chase down on the floor in his room.

"Hello?! Anyone in there?!" Marcus shouted right in Chase's ear.

No answer. Just a simple stir. He grabbed his alarm clock.

"Oh, I hate to do this."

He held the alarm clock near Chase's head and slammed the alarm button.

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP, the clock blared.

"AAUGH!" Chase screamed as his head shot up.

"Nice display back there, Romeo." Marcus said sarcastically. "You okay?"

Chase, still incredibly dazed from his first smooch from a girl, turned to Marcus.

"Yeah, I'm just fine." he mumbled. "Except my head is spinning and I'm losing contact with reality. You, on the other hand, are so used to that kind of thing that you no longer complain about it."

"That comment was uncalled for in so many ways."

Chase sat up and buried his face in his hands.

"Great! My first kiss and I pass out! Who in their right mind passes out on their first kiss?!"

"Apparently you do."

"Can it, puppy-boy!"

Chase got up and sat on Marcus' bed.

"All that stuff you said Anna said…I guess it wasn't bull after all. She really DOES have the hots for me."

Marcus crossed his arms and smirked.

"And how do you react to this?"

"I'm not gonna say it." Chase replied.

"Either you say it or I scan your mind and say it for you."

Chase gulped, then mumbled something that Marcus couldn't understand. A really bad habit of his.

"Can't hear ya." Marcus said, pricking his ear up and leaning toward Chase.

Just like that, Chase blurted out his response.

"Fine! I like her! Alright?! Are you happy now?!"

"Hey, calm down, man. It's no big deal." Marcus assured.

"Uh, correction, wisenheimer: it's a VERY big deal! Maybe I've been TRYING to work up the nerve to tell it to her like it is, but it just so happened that because of what happened tonight, I might never be able to talk straight to her again!"

"Ain't that an accurate prediction..." Marcus thought sarcastically.

"Dude, chillax. You'll get used to it…eventually…or maybe you won't."

"You remember when we were eight and we thought love was gross and girls had cooties and other random crap like that?"

"Oh, yeah. We more or less had no respect for women back then, but things change, I suppose."

"You know…it was kinda nice just to have a talk with you, Mark. It gets kinda awkward when Anne's listening in most of the time."

"Yeah…don't get me wrong, having her around is fun, but you and I like to do stuff just by ourselves sometimes, right?"

Chase grinned and flipped his fedora back on.

"Like maybe…" he started.

He cocked his head at the GH guitar controller leaning up against the wall.

Marcus grinned.

"Exactly like that."

He turned on the TV and the Wii U, but before he did anything else, he decided to look around the ceiling. If he was right, then the thing he was looking for would be…

"There it is!" he said when he spotted what he was looking for.

Right as he started scaling the bookshelf, Anna and Coyote came in.

"Hey, boys!" said Coyote. "What's going o…hey, you've got _Universe Tour_, too, Mark?!"

"Yep. Had it for ages." Marcus replied as he double-checked the black spot on the wall.

"Sweet! Anne told me that you guys like to play it all the time. So…is there room for one more bandmate?"

Marcus was taken aback. Coyote, the coolest girl he knew, was into VIDEO GAMES?!

"Sure!" he answered excitedly.

"Just don't ragequit on us if you fail, alright?" Chase joked.

Coyote glared at Chase.

"You. Zip it. I can Full Combo 'Knights of Cydonia' on Expert."

Anna picked up the microphone and handed Chase and Coyote each a VBV before grabbing one herself.

"Mark, you coming?" she asked.

"One second." Marcus said, looking hard at the black spot on the wall. "They should be turning it on any second now."

Back downstairs, as soon as Krystal heard Coyote and Anna shut Marcus' door, she rushed over to the TV and turned it on.

"Krystal, you know it's sort of a privacy invasion to spy on our kids when they're playing _Guitar Hero._" Bill said. "Suppose they ever found out about it."

"Uh…what's _Guitar Hero_?" Damalgo asked.

"Bill, even YOU admitted that you liked this idea." Krystal said in response. "ESPECIALLY that one year they played 'Sweet Transvestite'."

"Snooping in on your own children. You McClouds are more immature than I thought." Wolf said with a smirk on his face.

"Immature or not, it was pretty hilarious!" Fox chuckled before he began singing a bit of the song under his breath.

"If Coyote's going to be singing, let me tell you that she has an absolutely lovely voice." Lori said. "When she starts belting it, good God does it ever sound angelic."

"Okay, now just gotta change the channel…" Krystal said.

As soon as she did, however, Marcus' grinning mug immediately appeared on the screen.

"Well, hello there." Marcus said.

Krystal yelped and fell backward.

"Yeah, that's right, Mom. I know about the camera. You can thank Peppy for that."

Krystal looked at Peppy, who smirked and shrugged.

"Sorry. Just sort of slipped."

"Now normally I'd be pretty mad because teenagers hate to have their privacy invaded. But tonight's a special night, so we're okay with it." Marcus said. "Right, guys?"

Chase, Coyote, and Anna all grinned and nodded.

"Okay, then." Marcus said, looking back at the camera. "Sit back and enjoy the ride."

Marcus grabbed the bass guitar, Coyote the drums, Chase the lead guitar, and Anna the microphone after they had all slipped on the sensor bands. A warning sign on the TV alerted them to put on their VBVs. They flipped them down over their eyes, and in moments, from both their perspective and the adults', they were in the game.

**20 minutes later**

After rotating spots clockwise and each getting a chance to sing, the kids had finished up a five-song setlist.

Anna singing "I Remember" by deadmau5 ("It's a great song, but…why is it in _Guitar Hero_?")

Chase singing "Up Around the Bend" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Marcus singing "Giving Up the Gun" by Vampire Weekend

Coyote singing "Mermaids" by Xandria

All four of them singing the encore song: "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey _(listen to the Rock of Ages version for this_), where everyone downstairs started singing along, as well.

Marcus was literally blown away by how well Coyote could sing. It was almost as entrancing as her ghostly howl. And when they all sang together, it only made the feeling even stronger. They were inseperable.

Downstairs, the guests all cheered. The kids felt like real rock stars now, except that they had been using plastic controllers instead of real instruments, but the way the video crowd was going nuts, they couldn't have cared less. ("So it's a video game! Alright, I gotcha.")

"That's enough of that." Slippy said as he turned off the TV downstairs. The guests all groaned, but within moments they acted as though nothing had happened. Up in Marcus' room, the kids let out loud whoops as they took off the VBVs and the sensor bands.

"Okay, THAT was awesome!" Chase said as he put down the drumsticks.  
"You know what they say: games are most fun when enjoyed with friends." Anna said.

Coyote looked at Marcus.

"Does she always do that?" she asked.

"Yeah." Marcus answered. "You get used to it after…well, actually you need to know her for at least a year to get used to it."

Marcus looked at the other three teens and grinned.

"Look at us, all getting along and having fun like we're a bunch of childish best friends." he said.

Chase crossed his arms and smirked.

"That's slightly ironic considering we ARE all best friends here,"

Coyote smirked at him.

"Oh, so you're finally accepting me into your little group here? Or are you even the leader?" she asked.

"It took me some time to figure it out, but now I know you're nothing like your dad."

"FYI, Mark's dad and my dad aren't enemies anymore. Didn't you hear them when we were down there before?"

"Let me tell ya; that rivalry was actually pretty badass. But then they end it with a freakin' handshake? Come on, I mean, what kind of peace treaty is that?"

Chase and Coyote started bickering like two little kids. Marcus and Anna initially thought of butting in and breaking them up, but in a matter of seconds it became too entertaining.

At least, it was until Marcus looked out the window. A bright flash had come from the first floor balcony. But apparently no one else had seen it. Chase and Coyote were still throwing curse words at each other, and Anna kept watching with her arms crossed and with a smirk on her face.

Marcus stood up and opened the door.

"Something wrong, Mark?" asked Anna.

Marcus didn't answer. He ran downstairs to the sliding glass door in the kitchen and looked out at the balcony. The sight he saw made him turn around and run into the living room.

"Mom! Dad!" he shouted.

He slid to a stop in front of Fox and Krystal.

"What's wrong, sport?" Fox asked.

Marcus sucked in a quick breath, then asked,

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

Neither Fox nor Krystal had the slightest clue about what he meant.

"What are you talking about?" Krystal asked.

"Follow me."

Fox and Krystal got up and followed their soon to the glass door. Marcus pointed outside. They looked. Two foxes, one male and one female, were standing out on the balcony, holding each other's hand and smiling up at the night sky. Their fur was brown. The male wore close to what Marcus usually wore during missions, while the female wore a long-sleeved sweater and skirt that went down to her knees. Both sets of clothing were snow-white.

"Who is that?" Krystal asked aloud.

Fox gave a small smile and felt a joyful tear fall from his eye. He knew…and he could just barely believe.

"It's my parents." he answered.

Fox quietly slid the door open and stepped toward the glowing forms of his deceased parents.

"We've been waiting for you, Fox." James said in a soft voice.

Fox stopped ten inches from them. They turned to him with bright smiles on their faces. James took of his sunglasses to reveal his eyes glowing like pure gold.

"Mom?" Fox said looking at Vixy, who then smiled. "Dad?"

"You seem surprised to see us, son." Vixy said in the sweet voice that Fox thought he'd never get to hear again.

"But…how?" Fox asked in a meek voice. "I thought that…you're supposed to be dead."

"Unfortunately, we are dead." James replied. "But we've come here to have a real talk like a true family should."

Fox was speechless. It seemed like that was the one thing they wanted to do in their afterlives, not something like avenging their own deaths. Even they must have known that Andross would murder them at some point. They just hadn't been expecting it to happen so soon.

"Fox," Vixy spoke up. "You've come so far since we left you. You defeated the enemy that neither of us could. You've believed yourself and your friends. You've fallen in love and gotten married. And with your wife, you gave birth to one of the most noble young boys that ever was."

"And what a beautiful wife she is." James said, smiling at Krystal, who was now cautiously coming forward.

Krystal stood next to Fox.

"You've done such incredible good for our son, Krystal." Vixy said with a warm grin. "We can't thank you enough for that."

Krystal looked at Fox and whispered, "She knows my name!"

"We've watched you both for the entire eighteen years that you've been married." James said. "You two seem to be so happy just to be near each other."

"We've made it through some tough times together." Fox replied.

James looked at Krystal with a sincere, yet kind stare.

"Krystal, we know that you've been put through the same tragedies that Fox has. And we know it hasn't been easy for either of you to live through them, but in the end, you still managed to pull through in ways that neither of us ever could."

James smirked and scratched the back of his head.

"To be honest, I'm actually a little envious of you."

"You? Envious of me? Yeah, right!" Fox said.

"I'm serious. You, your family, and you friends have risked life and limb to protect the wonderful world in which you live, and let me tell you: that's something worth being acknowledged for. Krystal, I wish I could have said this when I was still alive, but welcome to the family."

Krystal smiled.

"Thank you…Dad."

Fox smiled. Krystal held his hand.

As he watched, Marcus could hardly believe what was playing out on the balcony. His dead grandparents had come all this way just to talk to their son. He knew they say that seeing is believing. (Either that or vice versa) Even though he could see it as clear as day, he just couldn't bring himself to believe it.

Fox took a glance at Marcus, grinned, and then looked back at his parents.

"…you wanna meet your grandson?"

He looked back at Marcus and cocked his head. Still staring at his ghostly grandparents, Marcus came forward.

"Hello, Marcus." said Vixy. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

"Uhh…hi…is this for real?" Marcus asked, still unsure of whether he was going insane or not.

"As real as it gets." Krystal replied.

"You've come a long way for someone only sixteen years old." James started. "But even when you're tasked with defending this galaxy from unthinkable horrors, you're one of those young ones that still have the courage to stand victorious against them."

Marcus slowly smiled. Now he knew this was as real and plain as the fur on his face.

"Yeah…but I never do it alone." he replied. "I have help from my family…and my friends."

"It's not discouraging to work alone, but united with those you love and care for, you form an army that can topple any wall, storm any fortress, and win any war." Vixy stated. "And all you need to do is guide them along the way and trust your instincts."

Marcus clenched his fist.

"That's what being a leader's all about, isn't it?" he said.

The four adults laughed.

"I guess he really is our grandson." Vixy chuckled.

"Alright, you three." James said once everyone had gotten a grip. "It's time for us to go."

"Huh? Already?" Marcus asked. "But you just got here!"

"Spirits can only wander the galaxy until they've tied up all their loose ends. This conversation was the only one that either of us had." Vixy replied.

James laid a hand on Marcus' shoulder.

"Marcus, remember one thing for me: you're not a hero to make a name for yourself. You're a hero to defend what's right in the world. The fate of this galaxy rests in your hands. Don't let anyone down."

Marcus smiled and saluted his grandfather.

"You have my word as a Star Fox pilot!"

Vixy took Krystal's hand

"Krystal. Within dwells pure love for Fox and your son. Though you've only met us just now, I hope you accept our blessing for the future."

Krystal smiled into the bright, golden eyes.

"I do." she said.

Finally, James came to Fox.

"Fox, though you're no longer a pilot, we couldn't be more proud of you if we tried. Forever and always…we love you, son."

Another joyful tear fell from Fox's eye, then he hugged his parents. Krystal and Marcus were quick to join in.

"I love you guys, too." Fox said happily.

Vixy and James stepped back and smiled.

"So long, kids." James said with a grin on his face.

"Farewell." Vixy said, taking James' hand.

They turned and stepped onto the railing. They stepped off of it, but instead of plummeting to the ground like any normal creature would, they floated in mid-air.

The spirits turned and smiled back at their family. The three living foxes smiled and pulled close together.

"You finally got your final wish, Dad." Marcus said.

"What's that, sport?" Fox asked.

"You finally got to say good-bye to Grandpa and Grandma."

Fox grinned at his son.

"Trust me, buddy; I've still got loads left to live for."

"And what would that be, Fox?" Krystal asked.

Fox hugged his wife and son.

"You two."

Marcus smiled and hugged his father. Krystal smiled and smooched her husband on the cheek. They returned their attention to the spirits, who gave one final wave. Fox, Krystal, and Marcus returned the wave.

"Mom…Dad…good-bye." Fox whispered.

The spirits turned and flew off toward the massive ocean. With wide eyes, the living foxes watched in amazement as the two glowing spirits skimmed the surface of the water and shot up through a hole in the clouds. The living family shared another sweet embrace, knowing that two beings high in Heaven were forever watching them.

That was the last time James and Vixy Reinard McCloud were ever seen by mortals.


	30. Wishes

CHAPTER THIRTY

**Wishes**

**Later that night…**

For the whole night, everyone in the house partied as though it would be their last night together. They told great stories they had heard from their parents (or the hobo living in a cardboard box behind the dumpster down on Main Street. Pick your poison.), they ate, drank, and made merry. No one wanted to sleep...except poor Tyler who had passed out at 9:30. He wanted to stay up, but his metabolism just wouldn't let him.

Marcus eventually slipped away from the entire ruckus, made sure no one was watching, and dashed upstairs. He slipped through the sliding glass door in his room, hoisted himself onto the roof, lay down and looked up at the stars above.

Even though he was wearing a muscle shirt and a pair of jeans, since the roof was heated and it wasn't snowing, he didn't need to worry about getting cold. He didn't really care about whether he was warm or freezing. He just needed to be alone to think for a little while. Looking up at the stars was a good way for him to do that. And how beautiful the stars looked, twinkling up in the night sky, looking so close but really being millions of light-years away.

Marcus used to imagine that the stars were angels smiling down at him from Heaven, and if he tried his best, he could reach up and catch one. Then he'd hold it in his hands and make a wish. Of course, that was back when he was only four years old, and that age, most people (even Fox, Wolf, Panther, and Falco) were overcome by their own imagination and believed in such things.

But then again, there was one thing that Marcus couldn't see up there: a girl.

He smiled. It was because that girl was down here on Corneria with him. For the past two hours, Coyote had been the only thing on his mind. She was smart, beautiful, had a way with words, and most of all, she was kind. Traits like that were things that every Cornerian man looked for in a woman. It was those four things that could murder lust in an instant.

A regular Romeo and Juliet.

There were three words that Marcus had so desperately wanted to say to Coyote from the moment she walked through the door that night. The problem was that neither he nor she had the guts to say them, fearing that they would turn the other away.

Marcus' ears pricked up when he heard the sliding glass door open. He sat up when a pair of hands seized the roof's shingles and hoisted their owner up.

"It was getting kinda crowded down there." Coyote said when she caught Marcus' eye.

"I can well imagine." Marcus replied. "How'd you know I was up here?"

"I saw you go upstairs, and when you weren't in your room, I figured you must have been up here."

"Jeez, she's about as psychic as Mom is." Marcus thought.

"You want some company for a little while?" Coyote asked.

Marcus still had quite a lot on his mind, but he DID feel like having her around. Besides, it's not like she could tell what he was thinking, anyway. She wasn't a telepath.

"Sure." he answered.

Coyote scooted over to where Marcus sat. While she was at it, her tail lightly brushed against his underarm. He fidgeted.

"What's wrong?" Coyote asked, immediately taking notice to Marcus' sudden reaction to her presence.

Marcus inched away from her a little bit.

"Sorry. I'm just a little ticklish, that's all."

Coyote's look of confusion was replaced with a devilish grin.

"You are, huh?" she said coyly.

Marcus suddenly saw what she was getting at.

"Oh, sweet mercy!"

Just like that, Coyote pounced on him and started tickling him all over his torso. Marcus started laughing so hard that he thought for sure he was going to bust a gut.

"Oh, God, stop it! Hey, stop! Oh my God!" he shouted hysterically between laughs.

Finally, he managed to push Coyote off.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." she said.

Marcus lay down again. Coyote lay down beside him, and they both stared up at the night sky.

Coyote had such a seductive figure that any other boy would have stared at it long into the night. Marcus, however, wasn't that kind of boy. Even if the woman had a perfect figure, Marcus looked at her eyes when he spoke to her, not her chest.

"Great place to think, huh?" Marcus asked.

"Yep." Coyote replied. "Mark…do you have youth dreams?"

"What's that?"

"You know, something you think about as a kid and it never leaves your imagination. Something you think is real but you never tell anyone else about it?"

Marcus had a good idea about what to say, but he was hesitant at first. Coyote seemed like one of those girls that would think he was a dweeb for saying that. Then again, she asked the question, not him.

"Well," he finally answered. "When I was four years old, I always wanted to catch a star in my hand."

Coyote seemed interested.

"And what would you do with it?"

"Nothing, really. I guess I'd just…look at it. Think about all the good things in life that I have."

Marcus looked over at Coyote. She had a smile on her face.

"Yeah, I know. It's stupid." Marcus said.

"No, not really. At least, not when compared to mine."

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

Coyote exhaled.

"Okay. When I was a little girl, I used to dream about this whole other world that I called Lethe, because it seemed like it was there once, but everyone forgot about it. I go out in the rainforest near my house sometimes and have adventures there. Every time I do that, it's like I've gone into Lethe…this perfect world I've got inside my head."

"Y'know, that's another thing I haven't figured out. Just where the hell are you from, anyway?"

"Fortuna."

Marcus took a second to ponder the name.

"Fortuna…oh, yeah! I've heard of that. But isn't that planet…y'know…isolated?"

"Yeah, but it's so beautiful there that I couldn't care less. There's waterfalls, lagoons, rainforests, you name it!"

"Sounds nifty. Maybe I could come visit you there one day. You could take me exploring."

Coyote smiled.

"I'd like that…but yeah, the whole Lethe thing is kinda ridiculous." "Not really. It's says something about you." Marcus replied

"What do you mean?"

"It means you're an intrapersonal person. There's nothing wrong with that. You like to think about your own personal world where nothing can hurt you. I'm like that, too."

"Wow…your mom wasn't kidding. You can make anyone feel better in an instant."

They were both silent for a few minutes, then Coyote spoke up.

"Hey, check it out."

She turned her back to Marcus and showed him the back of her left shoulder. It was bare.

"You got that tattoo removed?" Marcus asked.

"It hurt like hell, but it was worth it." Coyote replied. "I know how you feel about She-who-will-not-be-named, so I did us both a favour and got rid of it."

Coyote turned back to Marcus.

"Say, Mark? What do you think about…Leon?"

"Maniac."

"Panther?"

"Needs to get a girlfriend."

"Oikonny?"

"Has to start looking out himself a little more."

"My dad?"

"A little short-tempered, but he's a nice guy."

"My mom?"

"A great family girl."

"…me?"

Marcus snapped to attention.

"What…did she just SAY?!" he panicked in his thoughts.

"Be honest." Coyote said.

Even though he knew perfectly well that no one was up there with them, Marcus cupped his hand to his mouth and spoke just slightly louder than a whisper.

"Really…really hot."

He pulled back slightly, shielded his face, and awaited the Almighty Slap of Rejection.

It didn't come.

He peeked back at Coyote. She was blushing and grinning.

"Aww, that's so sweet!" she said.

"Err…really? I mean…REALLY?!"

"Yeah. You've got a way with words, you know. You could wrap up the girlfriend hunt in a snap if you put that to good use."

She looked away for a second, then glanced back at him.

"Now that I know what you think of me…wanna know what I think of you?" she asked.

"Umm…sure. Try me."

Coyote leaned over.

"Cutest furry little bastard ever." she coyly whispered.

Marcus blushed like a tomato. Within seconds, he was uncontrollably grinning from ear to ear. ("Shucks, folks, I'm speechless!")

Then he remembered that night that someone snuck into his room and…

"It was you, wasn't it?" Marcus asked.

Coyote turned to him.

"What was me?"

"The person that snuck into my room and snogged me on the cheek in the middle of the night. It was you."

Coyote salaciously grinned.

"Says the guy who was serenading me when I wasn't even there."

Marcus blushed bright red.

"Damn it, Mom." he grumbled under his breath.

The two were silent for a little while longer, then Coyote spoke up.

"You remember that night on Sauria when the whole 'most romantic moment of our lives' thing reared its head?"

"How could I forget?" Marcus replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking…let's be honest: this beats that by a long shot!"

"No kidding."

The two suddenly squinted and sat up when a bright, bluish-white light slowly enveloped them and their surroundings.

"That's not moonlight." Marcus thought.

When the light became dim enough for Marcus and Coyote to see, they both stared in wonder when they saw the source.

It was none other than…

"Halley's Comet!" Coyote exclaimed excitedly.

"Wow, seeing that thing is supposed to be super-rare. It only passes through the Lylat System once every seventy-five years!" Marcus said with a hint of wonder in his tone.

"Hey, I got an idea! Let's make a wish on it!"

Marcus didn't know why Coyote was suddenly so excited, but he decided to roll with it nonetheless.

"Okay. You first."

Coyote thought of something that she wanted more than anything in the world…something that couldn't be grown in the ground, but in the beating heart.

"I wish that we could live in a universe free of conflict, fighting and war…a place where every can live their lives happily and consider everyone else their friend."

"Really? You'd wish for something that big?"

"Of course! Just because I'm a metalhead doesn't mean I don't give two craps about people's lives." Coyote said, smirking slightly and raising her eyebrow at him.

"Okay, okay, sorry."

Coyote chuckled.

"Nah, it's okay….so how about you?"

Neither of them knew that Fox, Krystal, Wolf, and Lori were watching them from the balcony.

Marcus smiled and affectionately touched Coyote's cheek.

"I've already got my wish."

Coyote felt her heart flutter when those words passed Marcus' lips, and the inferno in her chest rose to a blaze when she felt his warm hand on her face. Now they could only see each other. A joyful tear started to form in her eye. He had just single-handedly said the sweetest thing that anyone had ever said to her, even if it was implied and not spoke outright. Now she had only one way to reward him. She gently pushed him down until he was on his back, and then got on top of him. A smile slowly stretched across their faces, and as soon as Coyote felt Marcus' arms around her, she closed her eyes and kissed him.

As Krystal watched from below with Fox, Wolf, and Lori, she smiled. As soon as she saw Coyote lying on Marcus, she knew that things had sparked up between them.

"Good show, Marcus." she whispered.

Fox smirked and nudged Wolf with his elbow.

"Looks like you and I are in-laws, eh, Wolf?" he said.

Wolf grunted, crossed his arms, and smiled up at his lovesick daughter.

"If Coyote's happy, I'm happy."

Fox heard his father's voice echo in his ears.

"Love…the most powerful and wonderful emotion there is." the voice whispered.

Fox smiled.

"Spoken like a true father, Dad." he thought.

As soon as Marcus and Coyote's lips parted, the clock struck twelve. The giant clock tower at the church down in the city rang once, then twice until it had rung twelve times.

It was Christmas Day.

Marcus sat up. Coyote cuddled up next to him, gazing into his bright, sparkling eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Mark." she said happily.

"Merry Christmas, Coyote." Marcus replied.

Marcus was about to say the three words, but Coyote beat him to it.

"I think…I love you."

Marcus smiled.

"That's kinda convenient…because I love you, too."

Coyote felt uneasy for a moment.

"Are you sure? I mean…let's face it; I can be a real bitch sometimes."

Marcus warmly smiled and gently ran his fingers through Coyote's hair.

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Coyote smiled and laid her head on Marcus' shoulder. They looked up at the shining moon of Lunar…and howled.

"AWOOooOOooOOOO!"

"HOOooAAaaAA!"

The sound echoed away into the night…the sound of enemies turned friends, and friends turned lovers. And for just one night, every wrong in the universe was washed aside. For once, everything was right.

For just once, everyone was happy.

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

Christmas came and went, just as it always does, and with the days that came, wonderful events followed.

Wolf, Panther, Oikonny, and Leon went on to become the galaxy's top bounty hunters, bringing in the worst the Lylat System had to offer. Occasionally they would come across Star Fox while they were on a mission, and every time they did whatever they could to help.

The first baby of 2054 was Scott O'Donnell, born on New Year's Day. At first, Coyote didn't like him at all, because Wolf and Lori paid little to no attention to her when they were taking care of the baby. But when the siblings got a good look at each other for the first time (and when Scott said his first word: "Coyote"), the two of them became thick as thieves.

For helping the army in the war, Peter's prison sentence was terminated. He decided to join the Star Fox team as the weapons specialist, designing brand-new weapons for the team to use and flew alongside them in his own Arwing, the _Outbacker_. Sometimes his creations were great successes, other times they were miserable failures, but he always came through when his friends needed him the most.

Damalgo worked alongside Chase as the backup mechanic, but he also proved himself worthy as the foreign expert. He could speak all three of Corneria's global languages fluently (English, Spanish, and Japanese) as well as his native tongue. He also fixed the _Blue Marine_ by simply fitting a strainer over the engine and tightening the distributor cap, something Chase took months to figure out.

Chase was partially right about his prediction of a love life. For a long time, he couldn't talk straight to Anna. This didn't stop her from throwing in a good flirt every once in a while. There was one good thing about it, though: now Chase would stop cracking jokes at her.

Two weeks after Christmas, Falco and Katt were married. They didn't care how anyone thought about it, because they were so happy together that neither of them noticed. About a year later, they…on second thought, I'll let you figure that out.

Coyote remodelled the _Iron Maiden_ and joined the Star Fox team as Marcus' first lieutenant. Wolf claimed he only let her do it so she'd stay out of trouble, but everyone knows it was so she could be close to her new boyfriend.

Kursed may still be dreaming of a new way to steal Marcus' soul. For now, we just can't be sure when she'll strike next. Just don't think about her too much or the next time you're asleep, she'll find you.

Fox and Krystal continued looking after Marcus well into his later teenage years. No matter who was there for him, he knew that the ones that always had his back were the two creatures that gave birth to and raised him.

And Marcus himself still pilots the spaces of Lylat, helping whenever he can, for a true hero never gives and never stops believing in himself or his friends.

Wait a minute. You think this is the end? Hold your horses, buster! There's still many more adventures where that came from!

The Star Fox team's great exploits very well transcend history and can live on into the next millennium if everyone remembers them. The legacy of Marcus James McCloud and his legion of allies still has more ground to cover, so just you wait.

Because of that, I can't say "The End" just yet. So instead I'll finish this adventure with…

TO BE CONTINUED

**Bonus Section**

In this story, you frequently read of Marcus speaking a language that isn't used in the real world. This language was the main tongue of Cerinia, a primitive and exotic planet where Krystal and her ancestors were born and raised. Cerinia was destroyed by Andross in 2032, and its several thousand inhabitants were killed, though Krystal was able to flee to Sauria before the apocalypse took place.

The Cerinian culture is relatively unknown to even the most advanced of Lylatian scientists and astronomers, though it's known that the Cerinians consisted of foxes that had blue and white fur and wore tribal outfits of mainly white, and sometimes gold if they were of high rank. After a sample of Krystal's blood was taken, it has been shown that they can also live longer than an average Lylatian, though exactly how long is not known.

Cerinians mainly spoke their own language, but it's said that they may have been learning English, as well. Though not much is known about their lifestyle, speaking the Cerinian tongue is actually very simple.

The first vowel on the first side of the alphabet (A to M) becomes the first vowel on the second side (N to Z). For example, A becomes O, and E becomes U. This also applies to consonants, (Example: B becomes N) and Y is always considered a vowel. Proper nouns such as names remain in English.

A=O, B=N, C=P, D=Q, E=U, F=R, G=S, H=T, I=Y, J=V, K=W, L=X, M=Z

Sampler sentence 1: (English) "Hello. My name is…"

(Cerinian) "Tuxxa. Zi bozu yg…"

Sampler sentence 2: (English) How are you doing?

(Cerinian) Tak ofu iae qaybs?

**AUTHOR'S CHALLENGE!**

Use this section of the story to go back and find out exactly what Marcus was saying!

_And that my friends was Star Fox: Next Gen. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and to answer your question: yes. There will be a sequel. When is it coming out? Hell if I know, but I will say one thing: it's going to be much darker. _

_Otherwise, keep a look out for the Darkstalkers fanfic, and may the stars shine upon you...dear God, did I really just say that?! _

_Anyway, just as another reminder, I don't own Star Fox or any of the characters in this story aside from Peter, Damalgo, and Coyote. If you'd like to use them in any of your own fanfics, please send me a PM and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. _

**Note: As of January 21st, 2013, the bonus chapter no longer exists on the grounds that it really has nothing to do with Star Fox and thus had no purpose being put up at all.**


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